Can I Ask You Something
by TheatreGeek06
Summary: Henry and Emma have a conversation after she introduces him to Regina. Set right after Witch Hunt, this is a 'slow burn' Swan Queen fic.
1. Chapter 1

"Mom?" Henry set down his game and looked at his mother quizzically.

Emma had been pacing for almost an hour with a frown on her face. "Huh?"

Henry rolled his eyes at her less than eloquent response. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

After moment of internal conflict Henry let out a breath and decided to speak. "So, that woman… Regina."

The name got Emma's full attention and she quickly sat down across from Henry hoping perhaps he might be remembering even without the help of magic.

"Yes, Regina…" Emma tried to sound casual. "What about her?"

"Was she…?" Henry hesitated, not entirely sure how he wanted to ask, then decided to just spit it out very quickly, "Were you two like a couple?"

"What? Who? Me and Regina? No." Emma nearly choked not expecting him to ask that. "Why… why would you? I mean what made you think that?"

Henry shrugged not completely sure himself where the idea came from, but then when he started to explain the reasons just came flowing out.

"Well, for starters you brought us to this town I've never heard you talk about but for some reason everyone seems to know you and you know your way around. So it makes sense that you've been here before. Then when you introduced her as the Mayor I thought maybe she had to due with the case but then I remembered this morning in the diner she saw us and dropped that plate and you practically ran over to talk with her like alone. I'm guessing she was surprised to see you."

"No, she –" Emma started to speak but stopped realizing that the truth wouldn't help.

Henry paused as he looked at his mom he knew what she was about to say. "She was surprised to see me too?"

"Henry, wait a second." Emma tried to calm him down.

Henry could not be deterred though and continued with his theory, a smile beginning to form as the idea became real in his head. "We lived here didn't we? I must have been a baby right? That's why I don't remember. That's why you told her all that stuff about me and why she wants to show me around and take me for ice-cream. The three of use were like a family right? I mean really why else would the Mayor of care about the kid of some random Bailbondsperson that's in town."

"Slow down kid," Emma held up her hands as if trying to hold the conversation its self still so she could figure out how they had got to this point.

"Mom, its okay." Henry tried to assure her. "Now I see why you didn't want to marry Walsh."

"That had nothing to do with Regina." Even as she said it though it she realized it felt like a lie but only because yes, flying monkey and curses and Storybrook all sort of came back to Regina.

"I can tell you're hiding something." Henry lifted his chin up with a cocky smile. "Look me in the eye and tell me that we've never been to Storybook and the Mayor and you weren't a couple and I'll believe you."

"Ok so maybe we have been here before –" Emma began.

"I knew it."

"But that was practically a life time ago." Emma allowed a little laugh at her inside joke then assured Henry that she and Regina were just working together for this case. "We're barely friends."

"Ok sure." Henry leaned back into the sofa and picked up his game still wearing a smug grin.

"I mean it." Emma eyed him cautiously, "And whatever idea you're plotting stop."

"I'm not plotting anything!"

"Now who's hiding something?" Emma kicked at his feet.

"Mom, cut it out you're going to mess up my game."

"Fine," Emma walked back over to the kitchen. "I'm making cocoa you want some?"

"Nah," Henry called back.

Pretending to still be focused on his video game Henry snuck a quick glance at his mom looking very at home in this strange apartment. All he really wanted for his mom was for her to be happy and Henry had a feeling that Regina might just be the key to that.

* * *

I wrote this at like 1am this morning because I had so many Swan Mills Family Feels. There are are probably still errors but if you saw it on tumblr you'll see I did try to fix some of them. Anywho some people requested a part 2 which I'm considering, or more if anyone is interested.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a couple days before Henry got the outing he had been promised by Regina. It turned out the Mayor had been spending a lot of time with his Mom. Not that it surprised Henry. He didn't buy it for a second that his mom and Regina were 'barely friends'. Of course he didn't really remember his mom ever having many friends except here. It seemed like almost everyone knew her and by extension seemed to know him. Henry figured the break up must have been pretty epic for her to leave this place for so long.

When Regina finally came by to take Henry for his tour around Storybrooke he had so many theories running through his head he excitedly bolted for the door causing a surprised look to appear on both Emma's and Regina's faces.

"What?" Henry smiled too innocently to fit his teenaged face. "I'm just really looking forward to checking out the town."

Emma didn't need any superpower to tell he was up to something, she wondered if he'd come up with some Operation style name for it yet. "Ok behave for Regina and… yeah just behave."

"I'm sure we'll be fine." Regina smiled.

"See we'll be fine." Henry grabbed Regina by the hand and began to drag her out the door.

The two spent a few hours walking around town Regina showed Henry the sights and as they walked Henry suspected that there were times that Regina wanted to say just a bit more than she would allow herself.

Regina had offered ice cream but suggested a milk shake from Granny's inside Henry could see the hesitation on the Mayor's face but he also noticed that she didn't deny his request. Henry also noted the way people reacted to seeing them together. He couldn't really tell what they were thinking but the fact that they reacted at all only fueled his theories of a secret relationship between this woman and his mom.

"So? You and my mom…" He saw her flinch when he mentioned his mom. Yup, definitely bad break up. "I was just wondering how you two were doing with her case?"

"The case is going fine." Regina responded stiffly.

Henry laughed a little bit then leaned forward and whispered. "Its ok, I know."

"Know? Know what?" Regina became flustered but desperately wanted it to be true. "Did you remember something?"

"Well, no not exactly. I'm trying to figure it out." Henry watched Regina deflate at the admission and he felt guilty. "But you could tell me right?"

"I think that would be a better conversation to have with Em- your mother." Regina swallowed nervously then stood to leave. "I'm sorry Henry this was a mistake."

Henry was so startled Regina was already out the door before he could get out of the booth. As quickly as he could Henry hurried out of Granny's and called after Regina.

"Wait!" He jogged after her. "Please don't go I'm sorry."

Regina felt like she was about to cry, "Henry, you have nothing to be sorry for, this is my fault."

"So you were the reason mom and I had to leave Storybrooke before?"

"How did you know that?" Regina couldn't believe what she was hearing. Even without his memories he had managed to start putting the pieces back together. She really shouldn't have been too surprised she reminded herself her son had always been quite smart.

Henry was smiling, feeling pretty proud of himself for figuring out the big secret. "So, how long were you dating my mom before you two broke up?"

Regina's jaw nearly hit the ground. "I'm sorry what?"


	3. Chapter 3

"I mean that is what all of this is about right? Why else would my mom introduce me to you?" Henry asked. "Are you two going to get back together?"

Feeling like a fish out of water all Regina could do was open and close her mouth a few times before her voice returned as she caught sight of Emma walking toward them down the street. "Henry, can you wait here for a moment please?"

"Sure, but…" Henry trailed off as Regina stomped off toward his mom.

"Hey, you two how was…" began to ask but was cut off by Regina grabbing her by the arm and pulling her back down the street. "Owe, hey. What's going on?"

"I could ask you the same question Miss Swan. What the hell have you been telling him?"

"What do you mean?" Emma asked genuinely confused.

"Well, it seems our son believes we were dating." Regina glared at Emma with wide eyes expecting an explanation but the blonde just laughed. "I fail to see what is so funny."

"Well I don't think you're going to change his mind by saying things like 'our son'."

Regina was about to respond when Henry's voice got their attention. "You know I can still hear you two right?

Both women turned to see the boy with a cheeky grin.

"Inside." Emma pointed him toward the door of Granny's.

"Awe come on, you know I'm going to figure this out right?" Emma just continued to point. "Okay fine, but its only a matter of time before I figure out what went on between you two."

Emma and Regina watched and made sure Henry had gone inside before they started speaking again.

"We've got to tell him something." Emma said.

"What? What could we possibly tell him that wouldn't confuse him? Without the potion…?" Regina was fighting to keep her composure but whenever it came to Henry her emotions always got the better of her. "The last time I tried to hide our world from him…I can't have him hate me again."

Instinctually Emma reached out to and placed her hand on Regina's shoulder to try to offer the other woman some comfort. "Regina, I promise we'll figure this out."

"Very well, what do you suggest?"

"Well…" Emma made a face not feeling particularly confident in her decision. "We could go with the whole exes thing?"

Regina couldn't help it, she started laughing. "You're joking right?"

"Not exactly." Regina just stared so Emma continued. "Hey we made everyone at town hall think we were enemies again this is just like the opposite."

"First of all the town is full of idiots, Henry will not be so easily fooled."

"We have to try something."

"Let's get this over with then." Regina agreed nervously, not sure whether she was more afraid of him believing or not.

Thinking this was a better conversation to be held in private Emma brought Henry Regina back to the room they'd rented in Granny's Inn. The two women knew they would have to spread word around so that no one would contradict their story. It only took a shared look between them to decide the best way to that was to tell Mary Margaret.

"So," Regina looked at Henry once they were all situated. "Would you like to hear the story of how I met your mother?"

* * *

First of all I want to thank you all so much for reading and reviewing and favoriting and following. I've never had so much positive feedback so quickly on a story before, I certainly helps with motivation. Second sorry not sorry about the HIMYM reference, blame JMo :P


	4. Chapter 4

While Regina had opened the conversation she waited for Emma to speak first.

"Ok so." Emma fidgeted not sure of where to start. "After Phoenix, when I got out of… that place… I started to drive us to Tallahassee. It was a place I was supposed to go with Neal but I looked when I looked at you I knew I couldn't go there. Neal was my past and you were my future."

Regina watched as Emma told Henry this story. The memories she'd given them were only an overall concept the details were something Emma and Henry had created for themselves so she wondered if in her memories Emma really had skipped Tallahassee.

"Well, eventually I found myself in Storybrooke –"

"You mean you found yourself crashing into the town sign?" Regina smirked.

"It was raining and there was a wolf in the road." Emma defended herself playfully and then they both shared a moment of realization, they both thought of Graham.

"What?" Henry asked realizing the mood had shifted.

"The um, the sheriff at the time, he died not long after I got here." Emma told him and untied the shoelaces that she wore around her wrist. "These were his."

"Isn't that kind of weird?" Henry asked. " I mean you didn't know him that long right?"

"Sometimes it doesn't take long to form a bond with someone."

"Oh! So is that what happened with you two was it like love at first sight?"

Neither woman could object fast enough finding a hundred different ways to say 'no', it only made Henry smile.

"We actually couldn't stand each other at first." Regina told him. "You're mother was arrogant and intrusive."

"Arrogant? If that's not the pot calling the kettle black." Emma shot back. "Plus you threatened me!"

"I asked you then I'll ask you now, since when are apples a threat?" Regina replied coyly.

"When they come from you." Emma challenged.

"Ok ok" Henry was enjoying the banter but was also curious to know what happened next. "When did it change?"

After a bit of silence Emma came up with an answer. "At the hospital. You had eaten something it made you sick I didn't know if you were going to make it. Regina helped me get through it and well… when you go through something like that with a person it can change how you see them."

"But why did _you_ care so much about me?" Henry asked Regina.

"Well…" Regina was going to try to make something up but realized she didn't have to. "Before you came to Storybrooke, there was an emptiness inside of me but the way you looked at me I felt like I could be better. You made me feel like someone believed in me."

"I was only a baby." Henry laughed feeling a little confused.

"A very special baby though." Regina reached over and touched his chin.

Henry felt his face turn a little red as a blush forced itself onto his cheeks. "But what happened then? Why did you two break up?"

"Right…" Emma couldn't really think of a reason since they never were a couple anyway. "Umm well…"

There were a few different stories they could use the first thing that Regina could think of was how she had been framed for murder and the betrayal she felt when Emma turned against her.

"You were kidnapped." Emma told him. "By some people who were trying to hurt Regina. We got you back but Storybrooke wasn't safe for you anymore."

"But why didn't you come back?" He demanded.

"I forgot." Emma it came out only as a whisper.

Henry wanted to say that he didn't believe her, that that was a stupid reason, but he could tell by the regret in his mom's voice and the look on their faces that this wasn't something he should push.

"Henry." Regina interjected. "There's a point, a moment, in a relationship where it can become something more or it ends. We can be friends, but that's all, everything else ended for us."

"Yes." Emma nodded. "Ended and the important thing is we're never getting back together ok. Never."

"Geez mom you don't need to break out into a Taylor Swift song I get it." Henry rolled his eyes.

"Do you?" Emma didn't quite trust him to let this go, she loved the kid but he was sneaky and not one to accept things for how they were.

"Yes, now excuse me but I think I left my phone back in the diner." Henry got up and waved bye to Regina "See ya around."

"Well what do you think?" Regina asked.

"Don't know, but what else can we do?" Emma responded with a shrug.

The two woman said their goodbyes and set a time to further discuss what was going on with flying monkeys and the wicked with.

Regina got in her car and began to drive home when Henry popped up from the back seat. "Hey!"

"Henry!" Regina nearly swerved off the road. "You shouldn't be here."

"You don't have to be hostile, I know you like me and I know you still like my mom." Henry smiled as Regina pulled over and put the car in park.

"Henry," She looked at him apologetically wishing so hard that he could remember.

"Its ok I know why you sent us away, you wanted us to have our best chance." Henry saw that Regina was about to speak but kept talking. "But we're back now and I think maybe we could be a family again."

"Don't get you're hopes up." Regina told him through a pained smile, though it was also a warning to her self.

"Don't worry I've got a plan." Henry smiled confidently ignoring the nervous look on Regina's face because, yes she was certain he had a plan. Henry got out of the car but had one last thing to say before he ran back over to the Inn. "That moment you were talking about, did you ever think maybe it hasn't past maybe you just haven't had it yet?"

—

Meanwhile…

The Wicked Witch stood waiting for one of her monkeys.

"Aw, you've returned." She smiled and the monkey made a few screeching noises. "So you followed them the whole day and no one noticed?"

The monkey chattered on and Zelena nodded. "All in good time my pretty, all in good time. Besides, little sis has just reunited with her son were wouldn't want it end it before its begun would we?"

* * *

OK so it seems you all have got me hooked on my own story. Hope everyone is enjoying it, I'll be heading to Orlando tomorrow for a Megacon filled weekend perhaps if I get enough reviews I'll get another chapter up before I leave *wink wink*


	5. Chapter 5

Ok so maybe I was being greedy begging for reviews, but I just love them so much :::insert adorable smile here::: A sincere thank you to everyone who has left a review and/or followed or favorited, it really does mean a lot. So with out any further ado I'll just leave this next chapter here and ya know if you feel like leaving a review I wouldn't try to stop you.

* * *

"Going out on your date?" Henry called as Emma was grabbing her keys.

"Its not a date." Emma insisted but Henry had convinced himself otherwise.

"Please, I know you went out and talked with her last night after you thought I was asleep."

Sneaky bastard she thought. "We were just talking about the case."

"Riiight." Henry nodded. "So tell me about this case, who is so important to bring us all the way to Maine?"

"She umm…It's a secret. " Emma furrowed her brow feeling stupid for not having a better story, but without his memories she couldn't very well tell him it was the Wicked Witch. "Besides we've traveled before."

"Uh huh." Henry murmured.

"Stop."

"What, I'm agreeing with you?" He responded with mock innocence.

"Yeah, well I don't think you're doing it right." She gave him a playful push of his shoulder. "Look, I'm serious, in fact the only reason we're meeting now is because I thought you'd like to spend the afternoon with her."

"Really?" Henry asked surprised.

"Well, it would save you the trouble of hiding in the backseat of her car."

"You knew?"

"Yes, it would seem neither of us are as sneaky as we think. Now let's go."

Really Emma's biggest motivating factor for having Henry spend the afternoon with Regina was that if the Wicked Witch of the West was lurking about Regina was the only person powerful enough to protect him. Though she did also want to give Regina some time with Henry, it wasn't fair to any of them that he couldn't remember the truth.

The two of them walked down the hall and around to the Diner portion of Granny's. Regina was already waiting in a booth when Emma and Henry walked in.

"I um brought something for Henry if that's okay?" Regina looked to Emma.

"Yeah, sure" Emma nodded eagerly.

Regina pulled out a familiar book with the words Once Upon a Time on the cover.

"Cool." Henry took the book and began to leaf through the pages.

"So?" Regina looked at him hopefully. "Do you remember anything?"

"No… should I?" Henry felt guilty.

"No, its fine." Regina tried to swallow her disappointment. "Its just, well, that used to be your favorite book."

"Really?" He continued to flip through it until he got to the end. "Hey some of the pages are missing."

"Yes, well one of you," Regina looked back and forth between Emma and Henry. "Decided to rip out the pages."

"That was all him." Emma couldn't help pass the blame to Henry while under the brunette's gaze. Regina continued to stare at Emma till she cracked. "Fine, I may have then thrown them in a fireplace."

"I can totally see you doing that." Henry laughed.

"Hey." Emma tried to defend herself. "You're the one who thought your mom was the Evil Queen and we had to keep the pages from her."

At that Henry stopped laughing and a look of confusion took over his face. Emma saw that Regina's eyes had gone wide and she realized she had mentioned the Evil Queen but that wasn't the worst part.

"What do you mean my mom? Aren't you my mom?" Henry asked almost fearfully.

"Of course she's your mom," Regina responded first.

"Then what did you mean?" He looked at Emma accusingly.

"Here's the thing," Emma took a breath knowing she had just managed to dig herself deeper into this charade. "I am your mom, but Regina is too, she adopted you."

"Adopted?... So you two weren't just dating you were like married." Henry mouth hung open in shock.

Emma was about to speak but before she could say another word Regina was dragging her across the diner. "Miss Swan, I need to have a word with you over here."

Oh yeah, Henry thought definitely married.


	6. Chapter 6

"Are you trying to embarrass me Miss Swan?" Regina asked.

"No, I'm sorry." Emma flinched. "I couldn't think of anything else to explain it."

"Then maybe you need to learn to think before you speak." The brunette was still clearly shaken.

"Look, I'm sorry, it was a mistake." Emma apologized again. "We'll tell him we weren't married obviously."

"Yes am I'm sure he'll believe you just like that." Regina snapped at her. "You were right the first time. It was a mistake this whole thing was a mistake. Get Mary Margaret to watch the boy if you need a baby sitter, I'm leaving."

"You don't mean that! Regina, wait." Emma began to walk after her but paused a moment when Henry called to her.

"Mom, I'm sorry is this my fault?"

"No, its my fault just give me a second." Emma took after Regina again. "Wait up!"

Regina did not slow down but Emma was able to catch up with her before she had gotten far.

"I believe we're done, I've said all I have to say."

"Well I haven't." Emma stood firmly. "Regina I'm sorry."

"You've said that already." The brunette was unimpressed.

"I didn't mean about that, I'm sorry for pushing you to meet Henry before you were ready. I'm sorry because I promised it would be fine and I'm doing a terrible job at keeping that promise. I'm sorry because I know you wish it were Henry who could remember the past and not me, heck even I kinda wish that. Henry would have some idea on how to stop this curse. So for all of that I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"I…" Regina hesitated it was odd hearing someone ask forgiveness of her, she wanted to tell Emma there was nothing to forgive but the words got stuck somewhere in her throat but she nodded.

"Ok so are you ready to go spend some time with Henry?"

Again Regina hesitated. "I don't want to lie to him anymore if he gets his memories he'll hate me for keeping the truth from him."

"When." Emma corrected her. "When he gets his memories back he'll understand. You're not a villain anymore Regina we're gonna get you your happy ending."

Emma had extended her hand to Regina as she spoke but at the last second Regina recoiled her hand. "Let's just get back to Henry in case there are any winged monkeys around."

"Shoot," Emma looked at the time. "I need to meet up with David and the guys in five minutes we're trying to find the witch's hideout. Can you take care watch Henry?"

"Of course, we'll see you when you get done. Call if you're going to be late." Regina watched as Emma made a face. "What?"

"Nothing." Emma said not wanting to set Regina off again but that had sounded pretty married.

"So?" Henry frown a bit when he saw Regina walking back into the diner alone. "Am I in trouble?"

"No why would you think that?

"Well you two got into a fight and not my mom is missing… Is she in trouble?"

"No, no one is in trouble." Regina smiled at him.

"Good," Henry smiled back. "Cause I think I've got a few ideas so you two can get back together. First –"

"Henry," Regina stopped him. "What would you say if I told you that all those stories were real? That your mother's friends are actually Snow White and Prince Charming and your mom is actually their daughter who was sent to this world to escape a curse I cast that kept us frozen in time until your mom came to break the spell?"

* * *

Ok so today is the first day at megacon so I won't be getting much of a chance to work on this story. Hopefully I still be able to get you all an update for tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry this is the shortest chapter ever. I felt like this was the best place to split it since I haven't finished the next part and I wanted to get the update out here. Also in case it wasn't clear, this is a Swan Queen story.

* * *

Henry listened to Regina tell the whole story about she was really the Evil Queen and that Emma was the Savior who was destined to break the curse. It sounded over the top but Henry sat, fascinated by the tale."

"Wow…" Henry said once he'd taken it all in. "You guys must have loved me a lot to put up with such a crazy game."

Regina smiled trying not to feel disappointed that he didn't believe but she had told him the truth. "We do love you, more than anything."

"I know." Henry smiled. "Now about getting you two back together."

"Wait a minute." Regina's objections were ignored as Henry continued talking.

"We should start off with dinner cause that's a better meal for a date."

"Henry-"

"Walsh, that was the guy she almost married, he always took her to really fancy places but I think we should try something more casual."

"Henry." Regina tried to speak again but he was off in his own world.

"Or maybe you could make food can you cook?"

"Yes but –"

"Mom's great at breakfast but usually we got some kind of take out for dinner. Do you need me to tell you some of her favorite stuff?"

"Hen-

"What am I thinking of course you would know what she –"

"Henry!" Regina spoke loudly enough as to get the unneeded attention of the few other patrons still in the Diner.

"What?" He responded a bit confused over the interruption.

"I am not going to go on a date with your mother."

"Please," Henry begged, he realized it sounded silly for a boy his age to be whining but he didn't care. "Just one date and you'll see you two were meant to be together."

"Why?" Regina asked realizing this meant a lot to Henry for reasons she couldn't understand. "Why is this so important to you?"

"I love my life. I love my mom." He started trying to reassure Regina who was looking very concerned. "Its just, for about the last year something just seems off. Its hard to describe, but when the three of us are together it feels like home."

Henry was feeling a bit self-conscious and Regina was almost in tears. Her son remembered her, even if without his memories he remembered her.

"Besides." Regina "She probably won't even agree to it."

Henry practically jumped out of his seat with excitement. "This is going to be great! You'll see."

"If we do this and it doesn't work out, you'll let this go and accept that Emma and I are just friends?"

"I promise." Henry held his hand over his heart.

Regina pursed her lips, there were worse things she had done in her life, but this certainly seemed like the most foolish, though if it would help Henry to move on for this nonsense she had to try. "Fine."


	8. Chapter 8

Ok thank you for all you're wonderful feedback, I have more alerts on this story than any other I've written. I'm sorry this updates are so short but Megacon is over now so hopefully I will get a little more time to write. I had hoped to actually finish this story before the episode aired tonight but obviously that didn't happen. Oh and thank you to all of you you think everyone still sounds in character that's usually my biggest worry.

* * *

"So, can you tell me how we got roped into this?" Emma asked as Regina invited her in.

"I'd rather not say." Regina walked back toward the kitchen. "Why did you accept?"

"For Henry. I mean this was his idea right?"

"Of course it was."

Emma shrugged then fiddled with some of the things on the counter trying to keep herself busy. "So why are we eating here anyway? Why didn't we just grab something at the diner?"

"I have no desire to be made into a spectacle in this town, goodness knows it's happened enough already."

"Oh come on it wouldn't have been that bad." Regina just raised an eyebrow at the other woman. "Fine, I guess you're right. You know Mary Margaret nearly had a heart attack when Henry told her why he would be joining them for dinner."

A smirk suddenly found its way onto Regina's face. "Well then at least one good thing is coming out of this evening."

Regina handed Emma a glass of wine and they sat down at the table. Neither spoke until the oven timer went off and Regina excused herself to make up their plates. Once the brunette was out of the room Emma let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. For some reason Emma couldn't explain she felt incredibly nervous which was ridiculous it wasn't even just a real date. Still Emma took another gulp of her wine.

"Here" Regina place a plate in front of Emma then sat down to eat.

"Thank you." Emma's tone seemed more gratitude than just thanking someone for dinner.

Regina lifted her head to look at Emma. "For what dear?"

"I still remember the life you gave us. It was a good life, I remember Henry saying his first word, take his first steps, though I could have skipped the potty training." Both Emma and Regina laughed at that. "I know you did it for Henry but thank you, and I promise together we're gonna figure out how to get his memories back."

"Do you really believe that?

"Hey we moved the moon, together I think we can do pretty much anything." Emma grinned confidently.

Regina gave a tight smile in response. It wasn't that she didn't believe Emma would try getting Henry's memories back it was simply any time something good happened to her something worse usually followed.

The rest of the dinner was a pleasant affair with more light-hearted conversation with a few tangents about tracking down the Wicked Witch. They discussed a tracking spell but Regina told her the only way for that to work would be if they actually had something that belonged to the witch. Afterward Emma tried to help with clean up but Regina insisted she could manage. They walked to the door and Regina handed Emma her jacket as she stepped out to the porch.

"Gotta say, this has been the best I've had in while, unless of course you're planning on turning into a flying monkey and trying to kill me." Emma joked.

"No, I think I'm officially through with trying to kill you or your parents."

"Oh well," Emma shrugged, "Guess we'll have to find a new thing. Goodnight Regina."

"Goodnight Emma."

It happened quickly Emma leaned in perhaps for a hug though, Regina didn't see Emma Swan as the hugging type. Before Emma could get close enough to follow through with whatever she had started Regina had recoiled and retreated back into the house leaving both of them wondering what the hell had just happened.


	9. Chapter 9

Once Regina had recovered from the shock, her confusion turned to anger. What was Emma trying to do? Was she going to go home and laugh about how she got the Evil Queen to fall for her? No, she reminded herself that she and Emma were no longer enemies, but then what was the other woman doing? Regina was about to open the door again to demand an answer when she heard the start of a car and saw Emma driving away. Being denied the opportunity to demand an explanation only furthered fueled Regina anger and frustration, which resulted in a pile of broken dishes when she decided to clear the table.

Emma had stood out on the porch for less than a second before bolting to her car. What the hell had she been thinking? Was she actually trying to give Regina a hug goodnight or had it been something else? Sure it wasn't a real date but Emma decided she had just got caught up in the moment, that was all, they would probably laugh about it tomorrow. Still it was a good thing Storybrooke didn't have a real police department since her foot was on the on gas pedal like a ton of lead.

"Is everything alright?" Mary Margaret asked when she saw Emma.

"Yeah, its fine." Emma lied unconvincingly.

"Ok, well Henry had his nose in that book all evening, almost like old times." Mary Margaret whispered.

Emma could only offer a weak smile in response. They all said their goodbyes and Emma thanks them for watching Henry. The car ride was silent except for the radio, Emma could tell the kid wanted to ask about her night but so far he had remained quiet.

"Are you really not gonna talk about it?" Henry asked when they reached their room at the Inn.

"There's nothing to talk about."

"If there was nothing to talk about you wouldn't be so tense right now." He gave her a look.

Henry had always been very perceptive, Emma imagined that if things were different he might grow up to be a detective or perhaps a writer with his attention to detail, and that usually made her smile but right now it just got under her skin.

"Kid, you need to drop it."

"But I know you like Regina more than your saying and I know she has feelings for you too. Sometimes love doesn't seem like love right away. Look," He pulled out the book of Fairytales Regina had given him. "In this version Snow White and Prince Charming have a lot more obstacles to get through than just a poison apple."

"Henry!" Emma yelled. "This isn't some story! Regina and I care about you but there is nothing between us."

"But you belong together." Henry pleaded, he didn't know why he knew it but he did. "If you just try another date –"

"No. There will be no more dates."

"Then why did you bring us here?" He demanded.

"I am just here for a case." She insisted.

"You're lying!" Henry shouted.

"Enough. This is the end of the conversation."

Henry wanted to offer more objections but Emma's tone left no leeway to argue. Instead Emma watched as Henry stomped to his room and slammed the door. She wanted to shout at him not to slam doors but it would have been hypocritical since she too wanted to throw something to get her frustration out but at the same time didn't want to owe Granny a new lamp.

Emma paced around in the small living space in their room, every so often letting out a growl of irritation. After a few minutes Emma had calmed down enough to realize how much she had overreacted. She wished Henry could just remember what had happened then things could get back to normal, or at least was passed for normal in a town of fairytale character. But the fact was he didn't and Emma had to be more patient. It had been her idea to pretend to be exes with Regina and now she had to deal with the consequences. Henry just wanted what she herself had wanted for so long, a family.

Feeling guilty Emma hesitantly knocked on his door before entering.

"Henry? I just wanted to apolo –" Emma froze, the room was empty.

Regina heard her phone ring, she had no desire to answer until she saw it was Emma.

"What the hell were you –" Regina was cut off.

"He's gone. Henry's gone."


	10. Chapter 10

I hope you're all still enjoying this. Maybe everyone was busy voting in the Zimbo poll or perhaps Monday was just a slower day but chapter 8 was my lowest reviewed chapter so far. If you have any constructive criticism let me know that too though I am already aware I should check spelling and grammar more.

* * *

If a puff of purple smoke Regina was instantly transported to Emma's side. Once again rage flared up in Regina's chest and she was about to lash out at Emma but the fear Regina saw in the other woman's eyes instantly washed the anger away.

"Here," Emma handed Regina one of Henry's scarves. "Can you use this to find him?"

"Yes but," Regina knew she could use that for a locator spell but if Henry saw a scarf flying toward him he would certainly have questions. "I'm not the only one."

Understanding where Regina was going with this the two walked over to Ruby's room and knocked on the door.

"Ruby!" Emma called and knocked on the door harder.

"What are you banging about?" Granny came out into the hallway.

"We're looking for Ruby." Emma told her.

"She out." Granny looked back and forth between the two women.

"Ok we'll call her from the car, let's go." Emma began walking down the hallway with Regina on her heels.

"Ladies, not that kind of out." She pointed out the window to the full moon. "What did you two need?"

"Henry's missing," Regina spoke tensely. She was not one to share her problems since people weren't usually likely to help her.

"Why didn't you say so?" Granny snatched the scarf that was in Regina's hand and brought it to her nose. "Now, where did you see him last?"

Emma and Regina led Granny to Henry's room and Granny pointed to the window. "The boy left through there. No unusual scents so we can be glad the witch or one of her monkeys didn't get him."

Silently they followed Granny across the town to the edge of the forest. Occasionally Regina would look at Emma or Emma would look at Regina as if she was about to say something but neither did.

"Ruby." Granny suddenly stopped. "She's here too, following the same path as Henry if I'm not mistaken."

"Are you sure?" Regina asked.

"You think I don't know my own granddaughter?" Granny bristled. "Scent is getting stronger too they must be close."

The three picked up the pace after that and in a few minutes they saw someone lying on the ground.

"Henry!" Regina called out and began to run toward him when a wolf jumped in her path.

Emma quickly placed herself between Regina and the wolf and raised her gun.

"What are you doing girl?" Emma thought Granny was talking to her but really she was yelling at the wolf. "Ruby, you stop acting foolish."

"That's Ruby?" Emma asked in disbelief. Of course she knew the waitress was actually a werewolf, hence why they had gone to her for help, but knowing as seeing were two different things.

Ruby meanwhile continued to growl but they realize that she wasn't growing at them, there was something in the trees.

"Regina, get down!" Emma yelled but didn't wait for the other woman to move and pushed her out of the way as the flying monkey swooped toward her.

The monkey made another aerial assault to which Regina launched a fireball in response. The magic attack missed but the winged monkey was not able to come out unscathed. As it had dodged the fireball Ruby had managed to take a bite out of its wing.

From the tree the monkey let out a howl. Ruby growled at it and Regina who was now on her feet again ignited another fireball in her hand. The monkey decision to retreat was finalize when Emma fired her gun and manage to clip the beast.

Once the monkey had flow off they all hurried over to Henry.

"He's unconscious but breathing, looks like he got a bump on the head." Granny told them.

"Regina, can you get him to Dr. Whale?" Emma asked.

Henry was out cold so Regina wasted no time and in a puff of smoke they were gone.

A low bark drew Granny and Emma's attention back to Ruby. The werewolf jerked her head in the direction the monkey had taken off indicating her plan to follow it.

"Ok just be careful." Emma sighed and she and Granny began their walk back to town.

OUAT OUAT OUAT

The monkey landed near Zelena with a thud.

"Oh you poor thing what have they down to you?" The witch looked at the monkey's wing and the injury to its shoulder. "Don't worry my pretty, well make them pay."

The monkey answered with a few screeching noises.

"No, its too soon to go after him again, but there's another we can use." Zelena smiled. "Tomorrow we'll see how much courage Prince Charming really has."

* * *

The next chapter will be a sort of overlap with last Sunday's episode adjusting for things that are more specific to my story.


	11. Chapter 11

I didn't get as far in this chapter as I'd hoped so the next one will still have some overlap with the episode The Tower as well. I try to have these updates done as quickly as possible but one of these days I'm going to miss an update. Today though is not that day so enjoy :)

* * *

Granny and Emma made it back to the Inn without any trouble. The first thing Emma did was call Regina to see how Henry was doing. The other woman assured her he would be fine but Emma couldn't relax so she grabbed her keys and drove over to the hospital. When she walked up to the building she saw the plywood covering the broken window. David had told her about how one of Robin Hood's men had turned into a flying monkey after being attacked by one. The idea that it could happen to Henry sent her running up to find him.

"I told you he was ok, he's just asleep now. You didn't need to come over here." Regina's tone was a bit cold.

"I believed you." Emma watched Regina relax a little at that. "I just needed to see him. If you were in my place wouldn't you?"

"I suppose so," Regina sighed but her defensive hostility was gone.

The two women took seats on separate sides of the room and settled in for the rest of the night.

Henry was the first to wake up, it took him a few minutes to realize where he was but then he remembered what had happened the night before and he shuddered.

"Mom?" He called to Emma.

Both Emma and Regina jolted awake and started asking Henry how he was feeling.

"I'm fine." He assured them but he couldn't help smiling over the attention.

Dr. Whale came in a few minutes later and cleared Henry to leave. The three of them headed out to Emma's bug. They dropped off Regina at the Town Hall before going back to the Inn. Regina promised to check in on him later but had a few things to take care off first, she was still Mayor and this curse they were under still required some work to keep the town running.

Once Emma and Henry got back they changed out of the previous day's clothes and got some breakfast.

"What's going on you've barely touched your food." Emma asked as he pushed his eggs around his plate.

Henry just mumbled an incoherent response, he had gone back to thinking about last night and what had happened in the woods. The morning continued with Henry lost in thought, forsaking his video games to page through his book on fairytales. He perked up a little bit when Regina joined them for lunch.

Emma's phone rang and she answered it quickly.

"It was a ugh, lead on the case." She told them when the conversation had ended.

"You should go." Henry told her with an odd enthusiasm.

"Are you sure?" Emma asked Henry but her eyes shifted to Regina.

"It's ok I'll say with him." Regina nodded.

Emma hesitated but gave Henry a kiss on the head before taking off. Once Emma was gone Henry looked around to make sure they were alone.

"Hey Regina," Henry spoke hesitantly.

"What is it Henry?" She asked with concern.

He took a few deep breaths, still not really sure he wanted to talk about this. "Remember that thing you told me? About the curse and you being the Evil Queen…"

"I remember." Regina swallowed nervously. "Did _you_ remember something?"

Henry frowned, it didn't go unnoticed by him that Regina continued to ask him if he remembered something. "No, but there was something out there last night."

"What did you see?"

"Never mind, forget it." Henry shook his head. "It just dark it will sound stupid."

"Henry, I promise whatever you say isn't going to sound stupid." Regina tried to assure him.

"Really?" Henry yelled out of frustrated. "Because I was going to say I thought I saw a flying monkey last night. Like the Wizard of Oz but a thousand times scarier!"

"Its not stupid –"

"Maybe not stupid but crazy!" He wasn't trying to shout at Regina this wasn't her fault but he was confused. He took a breath trying to calm down before he continued, "New York was great but there were always so many people it just made me feel…"

"Alone?" Regina finished, it was a feeling she was well acquainted with.

"Yeah," Henry nodded. "But here it feels more like I belong, like I've always been here which is confusing. It's nice but then I feel angry because we're just gonna leave after the case is over."

"What if you didn't have to? Maybe once this case is over you and Emma could stay here?"

"That would be great!" Henry hugged Regina.

"Well, your mother still has to agree." It was still a fear of Regina's that any moment Emma would just take Henry and leave.

"I'm sure she'll want to stay too!" When he said it he knew it was true.

For a moment all thoughts of wicked witches and flying monkeys were gone but the moment passed to quickly for Regina as her cell phone rang.

"Go on, answer it." Henry told her.

"It was your mom, she needs help with something." Regina told him once the call had finished.

He wasn't surprised, "Let me guess, Granny will watch me."

"Yes, so behave, and don't leave her sight." Regina said sternly.

"Because of the flying monkeys?" Henry joked.

"Among other things." Regina frowned and Henry stopped laughing.

What if it really was a flying monkey that he'd seen last night? And if that was real was Regina really an Evil Queen?


	12. Chapter 12

No, Henry decided as he went through his book on fairytales for the umpteenth time. Regina couldn't be some Evil Queen, she was too nice. Still, he had not forgotten how Regina had blamed herself for Emma and him leaving town. Of course, if it were true, that would mean not only was Regina the Evil Queen, but that his mom was The Savior. It all sounded a bit much but Henry was not one to let things easily go, so he figured it was time to ask around, not everyone would be able to have the same story and he would find out the truth.

Emma had driven to the Inn to pick up Regina and on their way back to the woods Ruby explained how had been able to track the flying monkey back to a lone farmhouse. They also informed Regina about a text David had sent warning them that he believed the Wicked Witch was following him.

"Look! Up head." Ruby announced from the backseat. With her superior wolf like senses she noticed David doubled over in a clearing not far from the road.

Emma parked the car and ran over to him. "David, are you okay?"

"Well, where is she?" Regina asked.

"It wasn't her." David told them, his breathing a bit labored from whatever ordeal he had just been through.

"Then who was it?" Ruby took a few sniffs of the air but didn't catch any unfamiliar scents.

"Myself." David admitted.

"It's the witch she toying with us." Regina all but snarled as she spoke.

"Did you find where she might be hiding?"

"Farmhouse," Ruby got him up to speed. "Its where I lost track of the flying monkey."

"Ok well let's end this. Let's sent that witch back to Oz." David quipped.

Ruby lead the way as David explained what had happened during the fight with his doppelganger. The mention of fears caught Regina's attention.

"It knew your deepest fears?" She asked.

"Yeah," David confirmed and explained how he had defeated the monster by stabbing it with the hilt of his sword.

Emma and Ruby did not understand the significance of what David had said, but Regina did. When she asked David where the sword was and he told her it disappeared, Regina was all but certain this had not been some random attack but part of a calculated plan.

"When we face our deepest fears, our true courage comes out." Regina explained. "When you used the hilt of your sword to vanquish your fears your courage transferred into it."

"Then why did it disappear?" David asked.

Regina bit her tongue baffled that this was half of the brain trust that had foiled her plans in the Enchanted Forest, "It didn't disappear, she took it."

"Hang on. The wicked witch stole his courage?" Emma asked worried about what that would mean.

"Well, a symbol of it at least, and symbols can be powerful totems."

Regina remembered the ring Daniel had proposed to her with. It had been just an ordinary piece of metal, nothing special in and of itself but when her mother had killed him right in front of her both Regina's grief and love poured into the ring and it became a totem for her, imbued with magic. She had sacrificed her totem to open a portal and retrieve the poison apple she'd used against Snow White, Regina could only imagine what the Wicked Witch was plotting.

When they made it to the farmhouse Emma lead them over to the storm cellar doors. Inside both Regina and Emma could sense the dark magic that remained though its source had gone. Between that and the gold straw scattered on the ground it became clear Rumplestiltskin was back.

* * *

Ok so this brings us to the end of The Tower. I felt like Ruby was a more likely candidate to help Emma track someone seeing as she had super werewolf smelling abilities. Sorry if you wanted more Hook and if your didn't you're welcome. I haven't watched any promos for this Sunday's episode because I don't want it to affect where I'm going with my story.


	13. Chapter 13

Henry's first target in his investigation into the hidden history of Storybrooke was Granny since he had be left in her care and for the moment she was the only other person in the Diner.

"So," Henry sat down at the counter and offered up a big smile which Granny's responded to with a skeptical squint. "How long have you lived in Storybrooke?"

"Seems like forever," Granny gave a non-committal answer as she restocked the napkin dispenser.

"Well, in all your time here have you ever seen anything really weird?" He tilted his head to the side and whispered, "You could tell me if you did."

"Oh I've seen some strange things in my time."

"Really, like what?" He asked eagerly.

"You and Emma pulling back into town certainly makes the list." Granny laughed.

Henry didn't find that terribly funny since he was hopping for more of a magical weirdness. However, this did give him an opening though to hear more about his mom and Regina.

"So what did you think about Regina and my mom as a couple?"

"Truthfully." Granny leaned in close and whispered. "At first I thought those two would sooner kill each other than get together, but their love for you gave them the opportunity for them to really see each other and I can't see them falling for anyone else."

"Really?" Henry was surprised to hear that someone else believed his mom and Regina could get back together.

"Yeah, but you keep that between us." Granny gave a curt nod to emphasize her point. "There are some people who don't think the same."

Henry knew just the person Granny was talking about. It had been quite an amusing face Mary Margaret made when he had told her that his mom and Regina were going on a date the other night. "So if you think they belong together why didn't you expect to see us again?"

"Regina had made it pretty clear that you two leaving forever was the price to keep you safe."

"But why? Why couldn't we just stay?" Granny tensed and Henry could tell there was more to them leaving than the obvious. He decided to head back toward the fairy tale topic. "Fine, well what would you say if I told you that I thought I saw a giant flying monkey in the woods last night?"

"Well, then I'd say you best stay out of the woods." With that Granny was done with a conversation.

Henry sighed and tapped his thumb on the corner of his book. It was frustrating because he really wanted to believe in the idea that fairytales were real and what Regina told him was true but it just sounded so crazy. It didn't help that Granny seemed to be confirming the theory as well.

"Hello Henry." The boy had been so lost in thought he didn't notice Dr. Hopper sit down next to him at the counter. "You look like you've got a lot on your mind. Care to talk about it?"

"Do you ever look at your life and wonder how you got there?" Henry asked seriously.

Dr. Hopper was a little taken aback, "That's a pretty deep question for a young man such as yourself to be having. Can I ask what brought it on?"

"Something Regina told me that I really want to believe." He answered vaguely.

"Well then I suppose the real question is what is keeping you from believing?"

Henry chewed on the inside of his cheek while he thought then frowned. "Well it just sounds crazy, and I guess its that… if Regina _is_ telling the truth than my mom's been lying to me."

"Lying? That doesn't sound like something Emma would do."

At this point Henry had accepted the fact that everyone in town seemed to know his mother, and Dr. Hopper was right his mom didn't lie to him. "Well she's hiding something and that's just as bad."

"Then I think maybe you should talk to your mom about this and see what she has to say." Henry nodded at the suggestion. "Looks like you'll about to get your chance."

They saw Emma's yellow bug pulling past the window. After a few minutes Ruby walked back into the diner and Henry asked if he could go.

"Emma said she'd come in to get you in a minute." Ruby told him.

"Come on," Henry rolled his eyes, "Its just around the corner."

"Ok, fine." Ruby opened the door again. "But I'm walking you."

Henry just gave an amused shake of his head.

Emma and Regina were still sitting in the car after they'd parked.

"I have a theory…" Regina started hesitantly. "In the story of Oz the Lion needed courage, I think she might try to obtain a heart and brain next."

"Do you think she would actually take someone's brain?" Emma asked nervously.

"That or a symbol of it. It's the heart I'm more concerned about."

They both knew a heart was easy enough to obtain with magic.

"You think that monkey was after Henry specifically?" Emma asked. It wouldn't be the first time someone was after their son's heart.

"I'm almost certain of it, but at least his heart is safe. I protected it with magic once we were back on the Jolly Roger." Emma nodded feeling a little relieved. "I'd like to cast that spell on you."

Emma was a little shocked. "Me? You don't need to do that."

"I do, if the witch –" Regina was cut off.

"No, I mean she can't take my heart. When I was fighting Cora she tried to take my heart but she couldn't."

"Oh," Regina swallowed nervously. The mention of her mother and hearts caused her to flashback to that night in the sables with Daniel.

"Regina? Are you ok? Emma pulled the other woman from her thoughts.

"I'm fine." She tried to shake it off. "I guess we'll just keep an eye out for Rumplestitskin."

Regina began to get out of the car but Emma reached out to stop her. "Wait, maybe I could cast the spell on you though?"

"Nobody would be after my heart."

"But what if she is? What if the only reason she was after Henry was to get to you?" Emma theorized but Regina remained silent. "Can I at least try?"

After a moment of hesitation Regina nodded forcing herself to relax. If she was tense her own magic would involuntarily try to protect her and the spell would be over before it even began.

"So what do I do exactly?" Emma asked when Regina had not offered any instruction.

The brunette lifted Emma's hand so it was just above her heart and told her, "There are some spells that just have to be felt."

Emma licked her lips nervously as she felt her own heart beating loudly in her chest. She tried to remember what Regina had taught her in Neverland and what Gold had said when she'd cast the protection spell on the pawnshop.

For a moment nothing happened and Regina was about to assure Emma that is was fine, and offer some quip about how the wicked witch wouldn't have the opportunity to get close enough to rip her heart out anyway, but then a yellow light began to glow around Emma's hand.

"It stings." Regina smiled through the discomfort.

Emma was about to speak but her words died on lips as she saw Henry standing wide eyed just outside the car.

* * *

I admit I couldn't remember if Regina knew that Cora had tried unsuccessfully to rip Emma's heart from her chest and I didn't have time to look it up. Sorry.


	14. Chapter 14

"Henry!" Emma reacted first and bolted out of the car, Regina followed quickly after. There was no doubt Henry had seen Emma use magic and the two were filled with fear about how he would react.

"We can explain." Regina promised.

But Henry was calm as he smiled at them. "It's ok. The queen sent all the fairytale characters to our world. There's magic here and you have cause you're the savior."

Regina was so excited she pulled Henry into a hug. "You remembered!"

"Actually no." Feeling awkward Henry pulled out of the hug. Emma winced as she watched the sadness settled on Regina's face. Henry noticed it too apologized. "I'm sorry, I just… I believe."

Emma told him it was okay and asked Regina if she was okay. The brunette nodded and suggested they continue the conversation inside incase there were any flying monkeys about.

"So kid how'd you figure it out?" Emma asked.

"Well, I was attacked by a flying monkey last night, and well, Regina kinda told me. Though I still don't see how she could have been an evil queen."

That made Regina smile a little, it still hurt beyond belief that he couldn't remember her, but he didn't think she was evil, and that was something.

"You told him?" Emma asked a bit surprised.

"I told you I couldn't lie to him." Regina reminded her. "And don't pretend you're so above it all. I heard you telling Ruby not to hide it if he began to ask questions. No doubt the entire town had received the same instructions within five minutes."

Emma couldn't deny it, these days it was a tie between Mary Margaret and Ruby over who the best people to tell if you wanted information to get around quickly. "Well, now he knows."

"Not everything." Regina looked at Emma for permission to tell Henry the whole truth.

It took awhile, and Henry would occasionally interrupt with a question of two but finally he knew the whole story. That in reality Emma had given him up and Regina had adopted him and after years trapped in Storybrooke's cursed haze he brought Emma to the town and everything began to change.

"Okay so who is the waitress again?" He asked.

"Little Red Riding Hood." Regina answered.

"But she's also a werewolf?"

"Yup." Emma nodded.

"And the doctor is?"

"Well the therapist is Jiminy Cricket and the medical one is Dr. Frankenstien." Regina told him.

"That a lot to keep track of isn't it?"

Emma shrugged. "You get used to it."

Henry let out a breath trying to wrap his head around all this new information. "So this world has magic can you just get me my memories back?"

"Oh Henry, I wish I could." Regina felt tears rush to her eyes but she did not let them fall.

"We're going to get your memories back." Emma tried to assure them but they both wore matching frowns. Emma wasn't sure who looked more upset but if she had to guess she'd say t was Regina.

After a moment Henry was prepared to ask his next question. "Okay, what were doing to Regina in the car?"

His choice of words caused Emma to cough nervously so Regina answered for her. "Your mother was casting a protection spell on my heart. We believe the Wicked witch is after certain things represented in the story of Oz."

Henry turned to the page in his book with the flying monkeys hoping it would help "That makes sense. A brain, a heart, courage and a home."

"Home?" Emma asked.

"Well, yeah, that was what Dorothy was after and she was the main character of the story so it's probably important."

Regina had forgotten that park of the story but he was right, it was probably important. Still, it didn't really matter what the Witch was after Regina just knew the other woman had to be stopped, and the only way to stop her was going to be through magic. Her magic wouldn't be enough, she needed Emma's magic too. They were stronger together.

"Emma, I believe it's time we continued your magic lessons." Regina finally spoke.

The blonde made a face, "Do we really have to?"

"Were you not the one who insisted on casting a spell not three hours ago?" Regina asked in disbelief.

"Well that was different." A bit of red crept onto Emma's cheeks.

Regina either didn't notice or just decided not to say anything. "Miss Swan, magic is a part of you just as your muscles are and as such must be trained, we can not rely on luck to get us through this."

"Luck has been working pretty well for me." Emma recalled their success in stopping an unstoppable diamond and moving the moon itself while they were in Neverland.

Regina just responded with a glare.

"Are you _sure_ you two weren't a couple?" Henry smirked more amused than annoyed that the two of them seemed to have forgotten he was in the room.

* * *

Don't worry everyone this is a Swan Queen story its just going to take _them_ time to realize it. Tomorrow I'll be going to RenFest and since it is OUaT day I won't have a new chapter up until after the episode airs which means I will probably have to rework what I've written so far cause the episodes tend to influence me.

All that being said a question to you all. As of right now I've had a new chapter for you each day obviously that means the chapters are shorter because I pretty much post them as soon as they're written. I got a review suggesting longer chapters, that would mean less frequent updates. My personal inclination is to continue with the short chapters because it keeps me motivated to write every day but I can be swayed. So my question to you readers is which would you prefer?


	15. Chapter 15

With no more stories to share, at least for today anyway, Regina decided to head home.

Henry said his goodbye first, "So I guess we'll see you tomorrow… mom…"

It should have made her happy Regina thought, having him call her mom again, but they way he said it hadn't sounded natural. It wasn't how he said it to Emma and it wasn't how he used to say it to her.

"It's fine, you can call me Regina." She smiled half-heartedly.

"Sorry, its still kinda weird." Despite his hesitation Henry leaned in and gave her a hug. It was brief but unlike the hug Regina had wrapped him in a few hours ago this one felt more comfortable.

Regina finally willed herself to let go and turned to Emma, "Magic lessons will resume soon enough."

"Okay…" Emma grumbled but the other woman's tone left no room for arguing. Once Regina had gone the blonde turned to Henry, "So, how would you like to meet your grandparents?"

"You mean Snow White and Prince Charming?" Henry gave his mom an amused grin.

"Yup." Emma nodded.

Emma decided to plan the reunion for the following evening; tonight it was going to be just the two of them. They ordered a pizza, played video games and for a few hours it felt like the old days in New York. Emma knew better though and she could tell Henry was faking it a little too. Peter Pan had said Henry had the heart of the Truest Believer but she didn't need him to tell her that the way that Henry took everything in stride, she didn't doubt he believed. She knew all of this bothered him because Henry did not like being lied to and right now his own mind was lying to him.

The next morning the core group met in Granny's Diner before it opened. Granny didn't mind, but told them to keep it brief because apparently nobody got in between Leroy and his bacon.

With Rumplestiltskin back they decided that Belle would be the best to help with research. Regina volunteered to search the cabin for any magical traces left by the witch. Emma didn't really want Regina to go alone but she knew the other woman could handle anything the witch would throw at her.

"Have at it, just be careful."

"Well, she'd the one that needs to be careful. She invaded my space, when I return the favor I'm not pulling any punches." Regina quipped as she left.

Emma and David decided to search the woods for Rumplestiltskin, but Snow objected on the grounds of feeling left out.

"But I'm the best tracker here." Snow tried to persuade them.

"Actually I'm the best tracker here." Ruby interjected as she came in for her shift.

"Well, you're not going either." Granny called from the kitchen. "We got the breakfast rush in ten minutes. "

"Come on Granny. Don't you think this is more important?" Ruby almost whined.

"If I let you run off every time someone came back from the dead or there was some beast running about town you'd never have to work your shift."

Ruby offered a shrug, "I tried."

Regina arrived at the farmhouse only to be greeted by a crossbow's arrow. She caught it easily enough and scoffed at the idea that someone would be foolish enough to face the witch with such a feeble weapon. Yet somehow she found herself paired with this idiot as they searched the house for anything useful. There was a familiarity she felt while talking with him, perhaps it was as he suggested and it was due to their lost year, but then she saw something that made her blood run cold. The lion tattoo.

* * *

It seems the votes are in favor of frequent short chapters so I felt I had to get this one up today so that my record of a new chapter each day remains unblemished. This takes us into Quiet Minds, we'll get further into it tomorrow. Also I had an anon reviewer tell me that Adam and Eddy said Emma's heart cold be taken it was only because she was protecting Snow that Cora wasn't able to take it. I would love to see that conversation or interview since I didn't heard that before. Either way though, Emma wouldn't really have known the extent of her heart magic and the scene was really more about her wanting to protect Regina.


	16. Chapter 16

Leroy was banging on the door waiting for his breakfast as Snow, David, and Hook headed over to the Pawnshop.

"Hey Leroy," Emma caught his attention. "Can I ask you a favor?"

"What ya need sister?" He sat down at the counter and Ruby set a plate of food in front of him.

Emma worried about Henry going stir crazy being forced to hang out in his room or the diner all day but she didn't want him to be on his own. "I was wondering if you could watch Henry, kid needs some fresh air. Maybe you could take him fishing? "

"Sure thing, me and the boys will look after him." Leroy told her before shoving another piece of bacon in his mouth.

Hopeful that Henry might actually have a fun day free of flying monkeys and talks of curses Emma grabbed him a bagel and went to let him know the plan.

"Fine I'll go," He agreed. "Because I love fishing, but sooner or later you're gonna have to tell more about this magic stuff."

Later, Emma thought to herself, much later. She was just about to call David to see where he was when her phone rang.

"He's here." Belle's voice was in a panic.

"Who David?" Emma asked, she knew the others were on they way over to speak with her but it didn't explain the fear and confusion in the woman's voice.

"No David just left its -"

"Rumplestiltskin?"

"Neal."

Emma could barely make out the rest of what Belle was telling her as she got in her yellow bug and drove to the hospital. Not wanting to waste any time she had floored it down the street hoping that nothing would get in her way. She had no such luck, slamming on both her horn and the brake Emma cursed at the black car zooming through the intersection.

Regina barely registered the noise from a car horn as she made her way to the convent. The symbolism would have amused her, if she were in the mood to find something funny. Tinkerbelle was the only one she could talk to about this. The thought she might have a soulmate out there was not something she wanted to share since it did more to worry her than give her hope. Here he was though, the man with the lion tattoo was Robin Hood and somehow they had found each other.

She cringed even thinking it, finding one another reminded her of Snow and Charming. Regina didn't care about pixie dust, Daniel had been her true love nothing this Hood fellow could do would change that. Still she drove to talk to Tink even knowing that the fairy could not, that really no one could, truly understand how she felt.

"Regina!" Tinkerbelle's voice carried down the corridor.

It was unusual to hear her name said with excitement but Tink had forgiven Regina for the part she played and was now running forward to great her. Tinkerbelle had accepted she was wrong to use the pixie dust as she had, and that the lost of her wings could only be blamed on herself and Blue. So, it was with great surprise when Regina brought up the man with the lion tattoo.

"He's here in Storybrooke." Regina admitted.

"Regina, that's wonderful!" Tink clapped her hands together.

She took a deep breath to keep herself from snapping at the fairy. Still she did not hide her feelings on the matter. "I would hardly call it wonderful."

"But don't you see Regina? It was destiny!" Tinkerbelle couldn't help smiling.

The rest of their conversation was short and Regina left feeling no better than when she'd arrived. found herself standing at the edge of the clearing where Robin Hood and his men had made camp. She saw him there, happy with his son, it made her own heart ache for Henry but for now even though he was so close the boy was lost to her. Love is weakness her mother had told her and in times like these the messaged echoed all too loudly in her head. After all it was her love for Daniel making her want to honor his last request, that she 'Love again'.

Regina lip curled upward as irritation set in. So what if destiny said this Robin Hood was her soul mate? She looked at her hand where Gold had once burned the Wraith's mark on her skin. The symbol was long faded but she recalled Gold's voice, "The one things no one can escape, Destiny." Yet here she stood, alive, Regina had evaded her so-called destiny once and she could do it again.

* * *

Don't mind the Outlaw Queen it was something that had to be addressed, this has always been intended as and will ultimately be a Swan Queen story. I will take a moment in this note though to send my condolences to any multi shipper reading this who liked SwanThief. I never shipped it, but I try to respect those who did, I wish them well and hope ST shippers join Swen, you know for Henry.


	17. Chapter 17

First I have to apologize for the shortest chapter ever. I just really didn't want my first day I missed an update to be on April 1st and have people thinking I was up to some weird April Fools joke. I didn't get much time to work on it this morning cause I had to have both the electrician and the plumber out here. I guess that's the universe's april fools joke on me. You thought you were gonna have extra money April Fools have a malfunctioning breaking and a toilet backing up. O_o

* * *

Fishing had been great. Henry wondered if that was something he had done before spending the day hanging with dwarves after having breakfast served to him by Little Red Riding Hood. He wished like it could be like this all the time, but when he saw his mom approaching he knew something was wrong.

Emma told him that she had found his father today, and she told Henry that Neal had been a good man. Henry believed her, but it was not the same without his memories. The story he had heard yesterday about Neal helping save him in Neverland was only that, a story. With no memories Henry couldn't even imagine what this man might look like, let alone being some hero, but he saw his mom crying and he felt sadness for his mother's loss.

"I'm sorry mom." Henry hugged her. "I wish I had known him."

Emma hugged her son tighter and told him that he had known him. They headed back to Mary Margaret's apartment where Regina was waiting.

"Did you do it? Emma asked. "Did you cast the protection spell?"

"Not yet."

"What do you mean not yet?" Emma snapped at her.

Regina had not known what had happened when Emma had called her earlier, only that Zelena was the Wicked Witch and a protection spell had to be cast. Originally she had planned to have Emma cast the spell with her but now she was not so sure that would be best.

"I had intended to wait for you to get here." Regina explained. "We needed something more powerful than just my magic, we needed _our_ magic."

"I'm not it the mood to cast any spells." Emma snapped again, her frown turning into a sneer.

Regina who did not have much patience for being shouted at yelled back, "I don't care what mood you're in, we need to do this together."

"No we don't." As she spoke Regina grabbed Emma's arm.

The blonde whose emotions were in high gear jerked her hand away trying to be rid of Regina, but as she did a force erupted knocking everyone backward. It took Emma a second to realize the magic force had come from her but the look of terror on her parents' and Henry's face confirmed it. Regina was looking at her differently though and before she could process anything else the other woman's hand was on her again and they were engulfed in purple smoke.


	18. Chapter 18

Once the purple cloud dissipated Emma could see they had reappeared in the middle of the woods. Emma pushed Regina away and looked for something to get her bearings, maybe the well or the playground, but there were only trees.

"What the hell is going on with you?" Regina glared at the other woman with such intensity that Emma had to look away.

"Nothing. Take me back!" Emma demanded.

"You've got magic take yourself back." Regina responded sternly.

Emma kicked at the ground futility. "I told you I don't want to cast spells. I don't want anything to do with magic."

"That didn't stop you from using it a minute ago." Her tone was daring Emma to deny it. "If you intend to use your magic so recklessly you should let it out here."

"I didn't mean to do that." She felt a lump form in her throat.

At this Regina couldn't stop herself from snapping, "Yes you did! You wanted to be left alone and you used your magic to push everyone away. You could have hurt someone!"

Regina had said 'someone' but what she meant was Henry and Emma knew it.

"All the more reason I shouldn't be casting spells." Emma spoke mostly to herself and started to walk away, determined that she could find a way back to town on her own, but Regina wasn't going to let her off so easily. Flicking her hand the brunette transported herself into Emma's path.

"You can no easier run from your magic than you can run from me."

"Watch me." Emma clenched her fists began to stomp off but Regina only laughed a cruel sounding laugh as several fires erupted, brought on by Emma's anger.

Regina waved her hand and extinguished the flames, "Is the savior having a temper tantrum?"

"Don't call me that." Emma was furious as she turned around to face Regina but her voice came out broken.

Regina pressed harder, "What? Savior?

"Stop it!" Emma shouted and with a crack a nearby tree limb fell.

"The one destined to bring back the happy ending?"

"Leave me alone!" Emma yelled, hot tears desperately trying to escape and make their way down her cheeks.

"Make me." Regina challenged her face only inches from the other woman's.

Emma yell was almost inhuman, fueled by the torment she felt. She pushed Regina with as much strength as she could muster, which, though unintentional, included her magic and the other woman was sent flying against a tree.

"Oh my god Regina!" Any anger she was feeling was replaced with fear and she ran to where Regina had landed.

The brunette had already pulled herself up to a sitting position when Emma had dropped to her knees to check to on Regina's injuries. The brunette waved Emma off but her movements were slow, she had not been prepared for the amount force that had hit her.

"I'm okay." Regina coughed out. "Are you ready to tell me what's going on with you?"

Emma felt like she was going to lash out again but for now she had run out of anger. She wanted to tell Regina that it wasn't her business but when she allowed herself to speak the truth came out.

"Neal's dead."

"Emma, I'm sorry." Regina's heart broke for Emma. "I'm so _so_ sorry."

A million guilt-ridden thoughts fought for space in Emma's head. She felt like she was being punished somehow, it had been the secret she told in the Echo Caves in Neverland. She had wanted Neal to be dead and now she was getting her wish, not only that the universe at seen fit to make Emma kill him herself. It hurt because she still loved him, not in a romantic way but he had been an important part of her life for so long even when he wasn't with her because he had given her Henry. Then she wondered if they hadn't needed the information would she have found a way to save Neal and used Gold's life to pay the price.

Anger began pushing its way to the surface again. She hated Gold for being alive again when Neal was dead. She hated Neal for asking her to do what she had done. She hated Zelena for putting them in this situation. She hated magic. Before her rage could consume her again a pressure around her hands brought her out of her thoughts.

"Emma." Regina spoke gently as she held the other woman's hands. "Its going to be okay."

"How can it? Neal's gone and it's my fault!" Emma was on the verge of tears again. "I killed him. I used my magic and now he's dead. How can it be okay?"

She answered with a name, "Daniel."

Emma frowned as she tried to place the name, it was familiar but she didn't fully know why she should recognize it.

"He was my first love," Regina explained everything from that night in the stables when Cora ripped out his heart to when Whale brought him back to life with a new heart.

"Daniel didn't belong in this world anymore, he was in pain." Regina's voice cracked as the memory of that day weighed against her heart. "I had to let him go and I used my magic to give him back to Death."

Regina studied Emma's face as she shared this story, she didn't know what happened when Emma had to face Neal and Rumple in the woods, but she could guess. "Rumplestiltskin sacrificed himself to save us from Pan. Neal must have found a way to bring him back, but only death can pay for life. I'm guessing Neal was willing to sacrifice himself to bring back his father but Rumplestiltskin had lost his son too many times before and tried to find a way to keep them both alive."

"But I'm supposed to be the savior I should have been able to do something." Emma tried to object.

"You did. You let him go and that was the best thing you could have done." Regina tried to assure her.

Emma felt foolish for being so emotional but she no longer had the strength to hold back the tears and she began to cry freely. Regina who had very little practice at comforting another human being awkwardly pulled Emma toward her and allowed the Emma to cry as she held her in a protective hug. They stayed like that until Regina felt Emma relax.

"The world can give us second chances and magic isn't always bad..." Regina debated whether or not to reveal the next part. It was something she had resented herself, but she thought the idea might give the other woman some hope, "In fact magic has shown me I have another soul mate out there, the man with the lion tattoo."

Upon hearing that Emma tensed and Regina immediately released her from the hug, feeling awkward and knowing she must have said the wrong thing.

"I'm sorry suppose it isn't fair the Evil Queen should be talking about a soul mate after what you've been through. I guess I don't really deserve one." Regina apologized.

"No, it's not that… I… never mind." Emma felt an unpleasant twist in the pit of her stomach. "You deserve a happy ending."

"You do too." There was a time when the only person's happiness she cared about was her own but now she found there were two others whose she in fact care about more.

"I guess we should be getting back." Emma suggested and offered a hand to help Regina stand. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Regina answered even as she winced.

"You're lying." Emma gave a weak smile as a way of apology.

Regina smiled back accepting it, "Are you okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You're lying." And with a flick of her wrist the two once again vanished in a purple cloud.


	19. Chapter 19

Ok so only a few chapters left and if anyone is doubting me let me repeat this is a Swan Queen story. To quote Adam and Eddy just keep watching. Also, apparently I'm an idiot and added this chapter to the doc manager without actually posting it to the story itself so yeah... sorry I'm a dumb dumb. Before I realized this however, I was exposed to some of the sneak peak stuff for this sunday's episode which doesn't really mesh with where I'm going. I have done a little bit of a rewrite of this chapter from its original form to accommodate for the new information I recieved and I'm going try to have it finished by Sunday.

* * *

They appeared back in the Charming's apartment. Instantly Emma was seized by her parents and they wrapped her in a hug, both of them and Henry asking if she was alright. Emma tried to assure them that she was fine but they doubted her.

"How about I make everyone some hot cocoa?" David didn't wait for an answer and set about in the kitchen.

While Emma was offering Henry more false assurances that she was fine Mary Margaret came over to talk with Regina. Assuming the pregnant woman was about to yell at her for kidnapping her first born Regina tensed up but Mary Margaret surprised her.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Regina asked keeping her guard up.

"For being there for Emma, she needs someone to be there for her and help her through this." Mary Margaret had been enemies with Regina for so long but she remembered the woman who had saved her on the horse so long ago.

"I'm only doing this for Henry," Regina responded, her voice sounding slightly detached, as if she were reciting a line memorized from a script.

"Of course," Mary Margaret said softly, a secretive smile creeping on to her face. It was the same thing Emma used to say when she was doing something for Regina.

Once the atmosphere in the apartment had settled, Regina along with a sill somewhat reluctant Emma cast the protection spell over the building. They also called the faries in hope that they could provide some protection to the other public places like, the school, town hall and Granny's Diner. When that had been competed David dolled out the cocoa but Regina told everyone she had to leave.

"I made enough for everyone." David held out a mug to her again.

"Thank you but there's something I have to do."

"For Henry?" Mary Margaret asked, her tone evident to everyone that this was some kind of inside joke.

Regina didn't bother responding and in a cloud of purple smoke she was back in the woods. It took her awhile to find her target but eventually she saw Neal's body lying unattended, which confirmed her suspicion that the Wicked Witch must have Rumplestiltskin's dagger. After everything Rumple had gone through to be reunited with his son and then to have to watch him die, Regina knew he would not leave his body like this unless the witch had commanded him to leave.

The funeral was the next day. Regina had transported the body out of the woods and made the arrangements to spare Emma from having to deal with it. During the breakfast hour Granny's was closed except for the mourner meeting up to travel to the funeral together.

It was just about time for everyone to head to the cemetery when Zelena came through the door. Not everyone present seemed to know Zelena's true identity but those who did tensed and prepared themselves for a fight. Emma was ready to pounce on the witch but Mary Margaret held her back.

"No need to get so wound up just because of little ole me." Zelena looked around with a smirk. "What was his name again Ballfur? It's a lot to swallow, which is why I've brought a gift to help."

She looked right as Regina as she spoke, Regina, for her part almost seemed amused at the idea. "I don't want a gift from you."

"Ah but you shall have it. You see my gift to you is this sad sad day because -"

Whatever the witch was about to say was cut off by a laugh. Regina wondered if Zelena knew who she was quoting.

"Rubbish. You have no power here," Regina sneered acting far more confident than she actually felt. "Now be gone, before someone drops a houses on you."

The service was small but there were still more people attending than anyone would have expected. Emma didn't recognize most of the faces but she assumed that they much have been friends Neal made while he had been in Storybrooke with Tamara.

Everyone said a few words and Henry was the first to take the shovel and add some dirt to the grave. Others took their turns as well all the while Regina couldn't take her eyes off Emma. The blonde was still hurting and all Regina wanted to do was make it better but she didn't know how.

Perhaps it was her attention on Emma that made her disregard the feeling that something was not right. After everyone had said their piece the crowd erupted in a panic as a number of the unfamiliar guests transformed into monkeys. Chaos ensued Regina cast fireballs as quickly as she could but the monkeys were fast and there were a lot of them.

"Mom!" Henry's voice called out.

"I'm coming!" Regina yelled back but when she turned she could tell it was Emma he was calling for.

The distraction was enough for a monkey to get close enough and knock Regina unconscious. The last thing she saw was Henry and Emma being pulled away.


	20. Chapter 20

"She's coming to." Mary Margaret was hovering over her talking in a not so hushed whisper to David.

Regina was a bit groggy and cringed as little as she realized who the voice belonged to. It took a minute for her to realized she was in the hospital and once she remembered what had happened she bolted upright. "What's going on? How long have I been here?"

"A couple of hours –"

"A couple of hours! Were you waiting for a formal invitation to retaliate?" Regina forced herself off the bed she had been in, pausing only briefly when she saw through the window SURRENDER REGINA was written in the sky. "I'm going to destroy her!"

Regina tried to storm out of the room but Snow blocked her path. "Regina, wait, we should get Dr. Whale to check on you."

There was a moment of silence as Regina glared at Snow, annoyed at how foolish the woman was acting. They'd already waiting too long every minute they didn't act was a minute too long.

"She has my son!" Regina shouted her voice filled with a panic and rage as she walked out of the door,

"And she has my daughter!" Snow yelled causing Regina to stop and walk back into the room. "Believe it or not Regina, I know how you feel and we can't just attack her without a plan."

Regina knew Snow actually felt the same as she did right now. It was probably David or the Blue Fairy that had convinced the other woman not to go storming off to face the witch on her own.

"You're right." Regina sighed.

"No Regina we can't…" Snow stopped realizing the other woman had agreed with her. "I'm right?"

"I realize you must not be used to hearing this but for once I agree with you."

"Really?" Snow was still in disbelief.

"Yes, really," Regina sat back down on the bed to try to show she meant it. "Now if you insist on having Whale check on me you'd best go fetch him now. I don't want to be here longer than I have to be."

"You'll see we'll get through this." Snow smiled reassuringly and began to go look for Dr. Whale. Snow had made it only a few feet down the hall when she realized that had been too easy. She ran back but Regina had already gone.

Regina almost felt guilty for lying to Snow, which was an odd feeling, there was a time when tricking the other woman would have brought a smile to her face, now though she felt no joy. Regina looked up at the sky where the words SURRENDER REGINA seemed to be written in black smoke. When Emma had arrived barely a week ago the wicked witch had been unable to track her by magic but now Zelena wanted to be found.

The trail led her to a stone cabin hidden deep in the woods. The building itself had the look of a witch's cottage but what made it truly unsettling and told her she was in the right place were the flying monkeys perched in the trees watching her as she approached the door.

"Ah, you've arrived." Zelena sat comfortably in a chair seemly without a care in the world.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Regina replied coldly her eyes not meeting Zelena's but instead locked on Henry and Emma who were held behind a magical barrier. They seemed no worse for wear, in fact Henry still had his backpack with him that he'd brought to the funeral.

"Ah yes them." The witch followed Regina's line of sight. "They are here as a, well, bartering chip, you see its not them I want, its you."

"Well here I am."

"Yes, so here's the deal." Zelena pulled out a hairpin. "You may not recognize this but I'm sure you're quite familiar with what its been dipped in."

"A sleeping curse."

"Yes. The deal is, you agree to prick you finger on that and I'll let down this magic barrier and Emma and Henry will be free to go no one will stop them. If your refuse however, I'll kill you and have my flying monkey tear them to shreds."

Regina's eyes flicked over to where the two of them were being held. Whatever magic Zelena was using to keep them trapped seemed to allow them to hear the conversation but could not be heard in return. If Regina had to guess though Emma was trying to object.

"I do this and you'll let them go." Regina's voice faltered slightly.

Zelena held up her hand smiling smugly. "Witch's honor."

"Deal." Regina jabbed her finger into the pin.

Zelena waved away the barrier witch a witchy cackle allowing Emma to catch Regina just before she was about to hit the ground.

"A heart was what I needed and now I have it. You see sacrificing yourself for others is quite the act of love and her sacrifice has now represented itself in this." Zelena walked over and snatch the poisoned hairpin before Emma could realize its significance.

"You're going to pay for this." Emma threatened.

"Tsk tsk," Zelena chastised the blonde. "I promised to let you go but if you start causing a scene who could fault me for defending myself. Now take your son and leave Storybrook. Go home to New York or wherever it was."

"That's not our home." Henry told her knowing that his week here he had felt more at home than he ever had in New York. "This is our home and my mom is the savior! She's going to stop you!"

Zelena was about to laugh but smirked when she felt a small surge of magic. "Well it seems you do know your true home even if you can't remember it. Unfortunately for you two that helps me more than it does you."

With a wave of her hand and a puff of green smoke Henry's bag was transported to the table next to Zelena.

"Well now I have everything I need." She pulled out the book of Fairytales, which had become the symbol for home thanks to Henry. "Now if you two will excuse me I have to run. Lives to destroy."

Furious, Emma made a lunge for the witch but before she could get close Zelena was gone in a cloud of green.


	21. Chapter 21

Emma grabbed the chair Zelena had been siting in and threw it across the room. She wanted to hit something, she wanted to hit that witch. She was about to pick up something to throw when Henry's voice got her attention.

"Mom?" He called nervously. They said it was a sleeping curse but Regina looked dead. "She needs True Love's kiss."

"You're right." Emma knelt down and looked at Henry expectantly. "Go on, there is no one she loves more than you."

"What?" Henry jaw hung open in confusion.

He knew what they had told him, that Regina was his mom in a life that he couldn't remember, and he believed them and maybe he did love Regina, but it wasn't the kind of love that broke curses. Still he decided he would have to try, but when he leaned over and kissed Regina's forehead nothing happened.

"I'm sorry mom," He apologized feeling guilty. "I just, how can I really love her if I can't remember who she is, who I am?"

Emma had been clenching her hands so tightly her nails were digging into her palms. She couldn't be mad at Henry this wasn't his fault, but she was panicked.

"Her soul mate." Emma remembered what Regina had told her yesterday. "We just have to find him."

"Wait what?"

"She said he had a lion tattoo."

"But what does that have to do with being soul mates?" Henry tried to talk but Emma was not listening to him anymore.

Holding Regina's arm in one hand and Henry's in the other she was determined to use her magic to do that smoke thing Regina did. Magic was supposed to be powered by emotion and with everything at stake her emotions were in overdrive.

'_I need to get Regina to her True Love_.' Emma thought, praying that her magic would take them where she needed to be. She knew she wasn't trained but her magic had always help her when she needed it most, surely now when she was so desperate it would appear, but they weren't moving.

"Mom, you're hurting my arm." Henry winced a little.

"I'm sorry," Emma hadn't realized how tightly she had been gripping his arm. "I just really need to get her to the guy with the lion tattoo. He can save her."

This time she felt it, felt her magic pull as a light blue cloud surround the three of them, and she that moment of weightlessness as they disappeared from the cabin and reappeared in the hospital.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret exclaimed in surprise when she saw the three of them form in the hallway.

Once Regina had went to face the witch on her own Snow had gathered a number of people to discuss a plan of attack. Which is why there were so many faces now staring at the sight in front of them.

"There's no time, we have to find the man with the lion tattoo." Emma said loudly enough that every one in the area could hear.

"I have a lion tattoo," the man Emma recognized as Robin Hood came closer and rolled up his sleeve. "What is this about?"

"You're Regina's soul mate, she told me. She's under a sleeping curse, you have to wake her up." Emma explained.

"Its true." Tink's voice came from the crowd and she pushed her way to the front. "Years ago I used Pixie Dust to lead Regina to her new love and it took us to him."

Robin didn't really understand but he remembered when he'd met Regina at the witch's farmhouse how quickly she'd run away. It didn't seem like a true love match to him, that and his heart still belonged to Marian, but he would try. Emma watched, an unpleasant feeling creeping into her heart as Robin kissed Regina.

"I'm sorry," He apologized when Regina didn't wake.

"No!" Emma shouted and every light in the hospital flickered, some of the nearer lamps even shattered causing most of the onlookers to back away.

"Mom." Henry grabbed her. "It's you."

"What?"

"You love her," Henry told is mom. He thought about the stories he'd been told about the life they'd led before. "Maybe I never noticed it before when all the fairytale stuff was going on but I could tell there was something between you two when we first got here, and I'm not the only one who believes."

"He's right sweetheart," Emma looked up to see Mary Margaret talking to her. "I almost hate to admit it but I've had my suspicions and now, now I believe."

"Me too," David smiled at his daughter.

"Hey," Granny's voice added loudly. "I've always known."

Emma smiled weakly at them. This has to work she couldn't lose Regina. Hesitantly she leaned in placed a tender kiss to Regina's lips. Almost instantly a pulse of magic colored with a rainbow hue shot out in all directions.

"Emma!" Regina gasped as she woke. "Its you."

"Its me." Emma smiled hearing the relief in Regina's voice. She could see the tears in the brunette's eyes could feel the tears coming to her own.

"Mom? Momma!" Henry couldn't help interrupt their moment tackling them both in hug. "I remember!"

* * *

Almost done, now all they need to do is defeat the wicked witch. I had hoped to finish this story up tomorrow but I kinda forgot I'm taking my mom to Epcot for the next two days so I don't foresee much time for writing tomorrow is also Sunday so that also means Once Upon A Time and now Game of Thrones will be on. Anywho I promise to have an update asap but it may not be till like Tuesday, I know gasp but I think I've done pretty well with updates I hope you all will forgive me for taking two days off. At least we got Emma and Regina together and I have a feeling together there's nothing they can't do.


	22. Chapter 22

"I remember!" Henry hugged his mothers tightly and they hugged him back just as strongly.

"Are you okay with this?" Regina asked Henry as she pulled away.

She knew that the Henry with fake memories had pushed the idea of she and Emma being a couple, but now she worried that since he could remember the real her he wouldn't want them together. Emma was having similar thoughts but neither of them needed to worry.

"Okay? This is great my parents together…" He had been so excited then seemed to remember what had happened with Neal. Henry hadn't known his dad for long but he was still family. "I mean I'm so happy for you two, for us but Neal… You have to stop the Wicked Witch."

"We plan to." Emma promised.

"There is no we in this." Regina's tone had gone cold and she had a far off look in her eyes.

"What do you mean there's no we!"

Everyone who had been in the hospital had backed away to give the three of them a moment alone, but Emma's voice carried across the entire floor and everyone who had tried to give them space now awkwardly tried to pretend they weren't watching. Regina noticed they had an audience and pulled Emma away into the nearby supply closest, leaving even Henry out of this conversation.

"Just was I said Miss Swan." Regina used the title to try to distance herself from Emma but the blonde could tell what she was doing.

"Regina," Emma took the other woman's hands and pulled Regina close to her. "Please, tell me what this is really about."

Regina allowed herself to enjoy the closeness before backing away feeling guilty. After the life she'd had Regina had trust issues, but what she and Emma had was True Love, if Regina could love again, she could also trust again.

"One day, shortly after becoming Queen, I went to train with Rumplestiltskin. I saw a letter he was writing to my mother, I mean it was just sitting in out in the open so I couldn't help but read it. He told her that he'd finally found her first born and she was the most powerful sorceress he'd ever seen. More powerful even than her…" Regina paused struggling to share this story. "For years, during my darkest moments, I would think about letter and it would give me a sense of comfort. I should have known it wasn't about me, but at the time I had no reason to think it could be about anyone else. But I learned later it was about Zelena… Zelena is my sister."

Emma wasn't really surprised about the disclosure about a new relative added to the family tree, still she felt obligated to ask, "Are you sure?"

"Henry wasn't only one who got his memory back. When you kissed me it brought back the memories from the last year. She told me back in the Enchanted Forest that we were sisters. I didn't believe her at first but then I remembered that letter…" Regina paused again, her heart felt like it was either going to explode or just stop. "When I found that letter I was terrible at magic but I guess I just wanted to believe that someone saw something in me, that I was worth something –"

"Hey." Emma took Regina's hands in her own and offered her a dorky smile. "You're worth something to me. You'd still be under a sleeping curse if that weren't true, right?"

"Emma," Regina knew what the blonde was trying to do, "I know you're trying to make me feel better but –"

"No buts."

"Emma, if the man who taught me everything I know about magic thinks she is stronger than I am then there is no way I can win this fight."

"That's why you two have to work together!" A voice yelled. Regina opened the door and Henry met her gaze with an incredulous look. "You didn't think you could stop that diamond that was gonna destroy Storybrooke but you did because the two of you worked together."

"Kid, I couldn't have said it better myself."

Emma pulled Henry to her side and they both looked at Regina and waited for her to object again, but she didn't. The brunette looked at them looked, at her family, she wanted them to leave again, to protect themselves, but she couldn't let them go again.

"Terrible news!" Grumpy's voice rang down the hall. Regina and Emma came back out. "The Dark One is coming!"

"Zelena, sends a message." Rumple stood, as menacing as ever, in the hall speaking directly to Regina. "She knows you're awake and expects you to meet her at on Main Street tonight before the sun's set."

"Rumple you don't have to do this." Belle tried to reach out to him.

"Yes I do." He hissed as he pulled away, shame coloring his eyes. He then turned to the rest of the people watching the exchange. "Zelena, has a message for all of you as well, she expects you all to come see the Evil Queen lose."

"I won't lose." Regina snarled as the Dark One disappeared.

They looked out the nearest window and saw the sun was already quite low in the sky. It was now of never, Emma held out her hand, "Together, then?"

Regina smiled despite how dire the situation was. She couldn't remember when she had last been truly been together with someone on anything. She took Emma hand and squeezed it firmly. "Together."

* * *

I know they still haven't faced the witch yet. I'm sorry. Bright side though, technically its still Monday so I could still get the chapter of them fighting Zelena up by Tuesday. Also clearly I drew some influence from last Sunday's episode and there will be more influence seen in the next update. As you can see I also changed the backstory of the letter Regina was talking about because the timeline didn't make sense to me in the show's context, if someone could explain how it worked I'd appreciate it.


	23. Chapter 23

"This is gonna be awesome! Let's go." Henry bounced on the balls of his feet ready to see a showdown on Main Street.

Both of his mothers objected instantly.

"Aww come on! I'm the one who figured out you two should be together!"

Neither Emma nor Regina could be swayed through. They may not be able to keep each other away but Henry had to be protected. With out any other choices they decided to leave him in Hook's care trusting that if things took a turn for the worse the pirate would take him beyond Zelena's reach.

There was only one last thing to do Regina thought and with a flick of her wrist a cloud of smoke surrounded Emma and the blonde was wearing her red leather jacket.

"Thanks" Emma smiled feeling more comfortable with her jacket. "What about those?"

Emma was looking at the gloves Regina was now wearing.

"Well dear, I've always had a secret fondness for red leather."

"I suspected as much." Emma smirked. "You know it seems a shame our first date is going to spent hanging with your sister."

"Please," Regina laughed, "After the amount of time I've had to spend with your parents I think you can spend one night with my family."

They joked to ease their nerves. It was a different kind of battle than Regina was used to because now she had something to lose.

"I was afraid you weren't going to show." Zelena smirked once Regina and Emma arrived.

"Well we're here now."

"We is it?" Zelena was still wearing an arrogant smile but there was a flicker of jealously in her eyes. "Its this the one you woke you?"

"That's right," Emma took a step forward putting herself between Regina and Zelena. "So if you want to get to her you're going to have to go through me."

"Sorry dear, I don't dance with amateurs."

"I'm no amateur, I'm the savior."

"Hm, it appears someone's got an inflated sense of self worth." Zelena sneered and used the dagger to force Rumple to knock Emma backward with a blast of magic. Emma would not be deterred so easily and got back up ready to fight. "Fine, if you insist on intruding, I supposed I could find someone to entertain you."

On cue dozens of flying monkeys appeared around them coming out from their hiding spots on the nearby roofs. Many of the citizens panicked not suspecting they would become targets of attack but others were ready for it this time. Charming drew his sword, Granny pulled out her crossbow, the dwarves had pick axes in hand and even a heavily pregnant Snow was armed with a dagger.

"Remember to be careful, these were our friends. We might still be able to get them back." Snow called as the fighting commenced.

Amidst the chaos of the flying monkeys' arrival Regina and Zelena had not moved. The two just stood and glared, sizing each other up.

"I just have one question." Regina spoke as she approached. "What the hell did I ever do to you?"

"Its it obvious," Zelena laughed amused, "You were born."

Beyond annoyed with the smirk Zelena continued to flaunt Regina smacked the witch across her face hard enough to draw blood.

"So what you're jealous of me?" Regina actually laughed as she sent the traffic light hanging above them hurtling toward Zelena.

Zelena deflected the projectile causing it to be redirected toward where Ruby was fighting a flying monkey with her bear hands. The witch didn't even notice the objet could have hit one of her pets, she was too busy being angry with Regina.

"You still don't realize what you had! You got everything I ever wanted and you didn't even deserve it!"

Rage increasing her power Zelena magically sent Regina flying down the street to where she crashed into a car parked there. The sound of the impact got Emma's attention and her anger over Regina's injury gave her the magical strength to knock the three winged beasts holding her back, out of the way. More though were coming at her so she was relieve to see Regina was able to get up on her own.

Regina who was less than pleased at being thrown into a car stomped back toward the interaction with a fireball in hand. Zelena though was indeed a powerful witch and the fireball turned green just a moment before being extinguished.

"Regina!" Emma yelled and the fighting stopped for a moment as everyone watched as The Wicked Witch lifted The Evil Queen into the air.

Emma tried to run to her but Zelena wanted no interference. "Rumple be a dear would you I want to savior to see this too."

The dagger, though no longer in her hand, was still in Zelena's possession and so The Dark One had no choice as he used his power to hold Emma still with magic.

"You can't beat me little sis." Zelena turned her attention back to Regina. "Everything Rumplestiltskin taught you, he taught me. I was just the better student."

"So what are you waiting?" Regina growled. "Kill me."

"I'm not going to kill you, I'm going to destroy you." Zelena's eyes flickered to something behind Regina past the crowd.

Whatever it was Emma could see it to and she shouted, "How could you?"

The pirate made his way toward Zelena his hook held close to Henry's neck. Regina could see the two of them and struggled hard against the magic that held her in place. How could the pirate betray them like this?

"Wasn't me Swan." Hook jerked his neck to indicate the person a few feet behind him with a crossbow pointed at him. "It would seem Robin Hood's been working for the witch."


	24. Chapter 24

"Your Majesty," Robin gave Regina a mocking bow as he approached her. "If I remember correctly that was the title you wished me to call you by."

"When I'm through with her I'm going to destroy you too." Regina threatened.

"Why are you even helping her? We trusted you." Emma yelled at him.

"Zelena is about to cast another curse one that will turn back the clock. She promised she'd leave me my memories so I could fix a mistake."

"There's no magic powerful enough to do such a thing." Regina scoffed at him and wondered if he actually believed such a foolish.

"There is now." Zelena waved her hand and floating above them appeared the hilt of Charming's sword, Regina's poisoned hairpin and Henry's storybook. "All of these things have magic and with Rumple's brain we've come up with a way to make this work, now all we need is a sacrifice. Your son should do quite nicely."

In the moments that followed everything seemed to happen at once. When Zelena threatened Henry, Regina broke free of the magic that was holding her and made a move for the witch. Henry had not intention of becoming a sacrifice and struggled again her and threw a bottle of something in Zelena's face, then pushed the witch into Robin Hood who was standing right behind her. Initially the monkeys turned their attention back to attacking the townspeople who were also preparing to fight but they all stopped again just as quickly once Henry was out of the witch's reach. Emma who was also now free ran toward the struggle and arrived at the same time as Regina and they placed themselves between Henry and Zelena who now seemed to be unable to move.

"What the hell was in the bottle boy?" Zelena shouted, feeling more confined by the second.

"I believe that was squid ink," Rumplestiltskin answered for him. "Very exciting stuff really, has a variety of uses but most commonly used as a way to immobilize those with magic."

"Well, you seem to still be moving about." Zelena sneered, not really caring about curses or anything else right now she just wanted Regina and her family dead. "So kill, kill them now."

"I don't think I will dearie." Rumple refused.

Zelena didn't understand until she saw the dagger was no longer attached to her hip.

"How did you…" She didn't bother finishing the question, it didn't matter, right now she was trapped and angry. Zelena struggled against the magic of the squid ink, ready to rip Regina apart with her bare hands if she could only reach her, but she could not move. "It should have been me! Cora should have kept me! Why did I have to suffer while you had everything handed to you? I should have had your life."

The circle that surrounded the scene had not come any closer to Zelena after she had been restrained even Rumplestiltskin was keeping his distance but once the witch had finished her tirade Regina walked toward her.

"You're a fool." Regina informed her contemptuously. "You have no idea what I've been through. Nothing was ever handed to me, as you so naively you put it. For any moment of happiness I've had a price to pay. If you were trying to go back in time in some idiotic atempt to trade lives with me you should be grateful we stopped you."

"You're lying!" Zelena spat. "I saw your life. I saw how Cora doted on you. The Wizard showed me."

"The Wizard?" Regina laughed coldly. "Fine then, you want to know what my life was? Let me show you."

While everyone else moved back Henry tried to reach out to Regina afraid of what she was going to do. Emma held him back and watched as terror began wash over Zelena's face as Regina placed her hands on either side of Zelena's head. Emma guessed Regina was doing some kind of Vulcan mind meld thing and it looked super painful.

Zelena wanted to double over in pain but she was still unable to move. She was being bombarded with memories that didn't belong to her. Accidently breaking a tea set when she was younger and being punished by magic. Never allowed to have friends because she was told they were beneath her. Being suspended in the air while her father did nothing. Watching the love of her life die before her eyes and her own mother was the murder. Forced to marry a man twice her age to become his daughter's nanny.

Everyone watched the silent struggle happening between these two, many of the onlookers finding themselves rooting for the Evil Queen for the first time. From the outside everything looked fine but Emma had a bad feeling that was only intensified when she noticed a worried look on Rumplestilskin's face as well.

Attempting to protect herself Zelena harnessed her own magic to block out the offending images. Suddenly Regina felt like she was loosing control as she began to see memories from Zelena's past. Regina just told herself to push harder, so what if Zelena had an abusive father and her mother ignored that abuse, Regina knew her life had been worse and she would prove it.

Each of the sisters were trying their hardest to force their memories onto the other. Zelena may have had more raw magical power, Regina, however, had more anger to fuel her so as Zelena grew weaker as her jealously faded Regina's power increased as her fury made her stronger. Regina poured years of disappointment and betrayal into Zelena's head until the wicked witch was no longer fighting back.

The squid ink had lost its power and Zelena collapsed on the ground and Regina stood victorious over the now defeated wicked witch.

"You were lucky to escape my life!" Regina snarled her voice contorted by rage. Igniting a fireball in her hand planning to finish Zelena off once and for all.

"Mom!" Henry's voice barely registered in Regina's ears as she started to bring the fireball down. Then suddenly firm arms were wrapped around her.

"Regina, its okay." Emma whispered trying to bring the other woman back from the brink. "You don't have to fight anymore. Zelena's done, you're okay, Henry and I are _okay_."

"Emma?" Regina asked shaking her head as if trying to wake up from a nightmare.

"Its me," Emma loosened her grip and turned Regina so they were facing each other. "Hey… I love you."

"I… I love you too…" Regina allowed herself to lean against Emma for support. "I let my anger take control I needed a reminder that I have something to be happy for now."

Emma smiled and leaned her forehead against Regina's and for just a few seconds things seemed good. Then Emma caught sight of Zelena still lying on the floor mumbling incoherently.

"What happened to her?" Emma asked.

"I'm not sure." Regina admitted. She had practice erasing memories and even creating them from nothing but this had been something new. She looked at her half sister on the ground and felt a little guilty. Zelena had not been so different from her, and Regina wondered how things might have been had they grown up together. "I was just… I wanted her to see that my life wasn't what she thought."

"And show her you did!" Rumplestiltskin approached them looking pleased. "You managed quite a feat of magic there, to dominate someone's mind the way you did. I didn't think you had it in you, kudos."

Regina always wanted her mentor's praise but was still never particularly proud when she recieved it. Zelena had manager to impart some memories on her and remembered how quickly Rumple had been willing to kill her once she'd denied him those magic slippers. Her relationship with Rumple would always be a double edged sword.

"Two lives fighting for space in one mind, not good for one's mental state." Rumplestiltskin knelt down and whispered to Zelena. "Enjoy the madness dearie."

Zelena had no response however as she continued to mumble to herself, no longer a threat.

Suddenly a thought popped into Rumple's head. Obviously Zelena no longer held the dagger that commanded him, but someone had manager to take it from her and it made him nervous.

"Which one of you has it?" He glared around the crowd.

"Has what?" Emma asked.

"I believe, the Dark One is looking for this." Robin responded relieving the serpentine dagger held firmly in his hand.

* * *

It seems there are still a few loose ends to wrap up. Hope you all are still with me and enjoying the final chapters. I also want to say how much appreciate all of you who are reading and an extra thanks to the reviewers and favoriters and followers you guys are amazing.


	25. Chapter 25

Here it is the last chapter. I want to thank all of you who read this, your interest turned a little one shot into a 25 chapter story. I hope you enjoyed the ride and I hope you're not disappointed in the ending.

* * *

Robin was holding Rumplestiltskin's dagger but Regina was in no mood for this. Before the outlaw could speak another word Regina used her magic to steal his voice and pin his feet to the ground. Without fear or hesitation Regina walked up to Robin and snatched the dagger from his hand noticing the lion tattoo again as she did.

"I can't believe I ever thought you could be my soul mate." She looked at him with disgust. She scanned the crowd wondering for a second if the onlookers were enjoying the show. Her eyes landed on Tinkerbelle and stayed on her for a second and saw the guilt over pushing Regina toward this man. "Today should have been a good day for me. I found out who my true love really is and my son remembered me, but for me happiness continues to come with a price."

Regina turned her attention to her half sister who had not moved from her curled up position on the ground. It actually made her a little angry that no one had gone to help her but what did she expect? No one mourns the wicked and while it was true that woman's heart was still beating one could not truly call her alive. Regina mourned though, party for Zelena and in part mourn for another part of her heart that had darkened because she'd become a murderer again. Of course, that wasn't really Robin Hood's fault, he was the lackey not the mastermind of this. Still, didn't mean he deserved to get off scot-free.

"I have only known three people related to me by blood and all three of those people have died by my hand." Regina held the dagger to his neck. "How would you like to join them?"

Regina watched Robin struggle but he still couldn't move and though he could breath just fine when he tried to speak he merely looked like a fish gasping for air.

"Regina," Emma sounded exasperated. She could tell Regina wasn't planning to actually kill him but the guy looked like he was about to wet his pants.

With a shrug and a flick of her wrist Regina released Robin from her magical hold.

"Bless you, Savior." Robin thanked the blonde once his voice had returned. "I knew you wouldn't let the Evil Queen kill me."

"She's not the Evil Queen anymore, and I'm not just the Savior, I'm also the Sheriff, and you are under arrest for attempted murder and conspiracy to cast a curse."

"I'm not sure that's actually a charge," Regina's smirked.

"Well in this town it should be, it happens often enough." Emma managed to say with a straight face.

"Fair point."

While Emma dealt with Robin, Regina took a breath and stared at the blade with Rumplestiltskin's name imprinted on it. How many lives had he ruined and now she could command him. She tightened her grip on the handle as she remembered her mother's plan to steal the Dark One's dagger. Cora had promised her that controlling the Dark One would allow to get everything she wanted, but she saw Emma checking over Henry.

"Mamma I'm fine." There was a bit of a whine to his voice that reminded Regina of him when he was younger.

What need did she have of the Dark One's dagger? Right now Regina had more than she could ever ask for, certainly more than she deserved.

"Here," Regina handed it to Rumplestiltskin.

He took the dagger tentatively then quickly handed it off to Belle who had joined his side once Zelena had been defeated.

"Rumple?" Belle seemed a bit confused by the gesture.

"Belle, there was a time when this dagger was the most important thing in my life," He admitted. "I said it was Bae but I couldn't give up my power for him not till it was too late. I don't want the same thing to happen with us."

"Oh Rumple," Belle kissed him.

Regina averted her eyes not wanting to intrude on their moment, when she did she noticed something strange. The dagger that had fallen to the ground was now blank. She almost laughed, this was what she had hoped to accomplished so long ago when she'd met Belle on the road and encouraged her to return to Rumplestiltskin, The Dark One was no longer a threat to her or anyone.

"Hey who is gonna turn the monkeys back to people?" Henry asked.

Though the flying monkeys were still standing in the crowd they seemed to have been forgotten once the fighting had stopped.

"Emma?" Regina held out her hand.

"Oh ugh," Emma stammered once she realized what Regina was asking. "Wait. I mean what if I turn them into like flying elephants or something? Wouldn't Mr. Gold be better at this kind of thing?"

"Alas not anymore," Rumple picked up the dagger and smiled, no longer seeing his name. "I am out of the magic business, but I have every belief that you and Regina can accomplish the task. You know what they say, with true love anything is possible."

"So Emma, do you believe in us?" Regina asked.

"I do." Emma took Regina's outstretched hand.

Together they used their magic and turned all of the monkeys back into their true forms. Emma's mouth hung open continually surprised what magic could achieve and that it was real. As the crowd began to thin Emma noticed Zelena was still lying on the ground, alone, not a soul caring what happened to her. The loneliness was a feeling Emma Swan could relate to.

"What's going to happen to her?" Henry looked at Regina and voiced the question that had formed in Emma's mind. "Could you do what you did for us? Could you give her a new life?"

"I…" Regina hesitated. There was a lingering bitterness toward the woman who had tried to destroy her life not an hour ago. Still, it would be quite hypocritical if she decided to hold a grudge when she herself had tried to destroy a number of lives in the past.

"Mom?" Henry pulled at her arm Regina not having answered him fast enough. "Don't you think everyone deserves a second chance?"

"Yes," Regina smiled and kissed her son on the forehead. "Yes, they do."

Regina felt a reassuring squeeze of her hand that let her know Emma agreed with the decision. The brunette went over and knelt down to where her half sister had been left. It was a simple enough spell, just a wave of her hand and Zelena had a new set of memories, a new life.

It took a few minutes for the spell to take effect but eventually Zelena blinked and spoke. "Hello?"

"Hello." Regina greeted her back stiffly. "There was an incident there with the traffic light you um hit your head. Perhaps we should get you to the hospital?"

Zelena looked around a saw the traffic light that was a good distance away but this was Storybrooke she thought, crazier things had happened. "Well I'm feeling alright now, I think I'll just head back home."

"Allow me to escort you." The pirate who was still lurking around offered.

"Hook right?" Zelena asked.

"What gave it away love?" He asked trying to act suave.

Between Zelena, Regina and Emma it was a three-way tie for most exaggerated eye roll.

"You, um, be safe now." Emma told Zelena as she began to walk away.

"Of course Sheriff." Zelena nodded and Emma and Regina watched as she walked away, Hook trailing after her.

"Do you think we should worry?" Emma asked.

"I don't think so, I saw a great deal of her real life I think I gave her a new one she'll be happy with."

"Well that's good to hear, but I was talking about Hook."

"Hook?" Regina questioned,using all of her will power to not tease the blonde about being worried about her boyfriend. Though, had she just continued watching she would have understood Emma's meaning. At that moment Hook place an unwanted hand on Zelena and once the cloud of green smoke dissipated there was a puppy sitting in the pirate's place. "Ahh, I see. He'll be fine I'm sure."

Emma just gave her a look.

"Oh all right." Regina flicked her hand and her own purple colored magic surround the pup and after a second Hook was back to his old self.

Snow came over and picked up the Once Upon A Time book that was still on the ground and handed it to Henry. "I think its time to go home."

"Like back to the Enchanted Forest?" Henry asked excitedly looking at his book.

"Oh um." Snow bit her lip. "That's not what I meant."

"It's okay." Henry tried to hide his disappointment, he had hoped since they'd found a way back to Storybrooke maybe he'd get a chance to see the Fairytale World.

"Is that what you want?" Regina asked nervously the Enchanted Forest had never been kind to her but if Henry wanted it she'd make sure he'd have it.

"Well it would be neat to see what its like." Henry tried not to sound too excited about the idea of a land with castles and ogres and unicorns. "Even if it was just for a little while like when Momma and Mary Margaret went there."

Regina didn't want to tell him that required a level of magic she didn't possess so instead she offered, "I'll try."

"You mean we'll try." Emma reminded her.

"Is this how all of our conversations are going to go from now on?"

"Only if you continue to forget to include me. Face it you're stuck with me."

"Together then?" Regina smiled as she looked into her True Love's eyes.

"Together."

Emma leaned in and kissed Regina, trying to convey in a kiss the promise that together is how she wanted their lives to be. Neither of them having to be alone again, and Henry would get both his mothers with him no matter what world they were in. When there lips parted there was a spark and the ground felt like it was actually moving.

"What's going on?" Henry eyes grew wide and he dropped the book he had been holding as it began to glow.

No one had an answer for him and Mary Margaret clutched David and she noticed there were other things glowing as well, the broken hilt of Charming's sword and a hairpin that had been forgotten until now. Even The Dark One's nameless discarded dagger was glowing.

"Mom? Momma?" Henry gripped both his mothers' hands just as a lighting bolt appeared out of nowhere and stuck the clock tower.

"What the hell is that?" Emma jumped forward shielding Regina and Henry from the nonexistent shrapnel.

The solitary lightning bolt did no damage but something was happening to the clock face. Magic swirled, a mix of purple and light blue before it settled into what looked like a wall of water surrounding the clock.

"That dearies is a portal." Rumplestiltskin and Belle walked over to them. The two hadn't yet gone home.

"Obviously," Regina rolled her eyes. "But to where?"

"My guess, The Enchanted Forrest." Rumple suggested.

"Well," Emma looked between Henry and Regina. "What do you think? Should we go through?"

* * *

So what do you think readers? Did they go through? Did they go on magical adventures? Did they have the perfect fairytale wedding or something simple? Do you think Regina cried when Henry offered to give her away and how excited do you think David was when he finally got that father daughter dance? Do you think Henry stayed an only child or did Emma and Regina have that magic baby so many stories talk about? Or maybe they adopted an orphan, a little lost girl like Emma once was. Do you think Henry grumbled when he had to babysit his little sister and the uncle who was of course 13 years younger than him? Or do you think he looked forward to watching said little sister torment his uncle who insisted he didn't need a sitter since he was five and the crowned prince. Did Henry mind that he would never be a king or did he love the freedom to travel the worlds and learn all the stories they had to offer. Did Henry write those stories down in a book that was read by peasants and royals alike? Did the most popular tale of True Love remain the one of Snow White and her Prince Charming? Or did it become the tale of The Savior and The Evil Queen who had a love that transcended realms and broke curses? I'd like to think it was the later.


End file.
